“You came alone?” Mary finally asked him. “More or less,” he replied. “How is a person ‘more or less’?” asked Mary. “Did you make that poor creature I saw from the window walk all the way back home by themselves?” Lit as she was, she took care to keep the pronouns neutral, even at the expense of grammar, since she and Fuller now had Miss Lightfoot’s complete attention, Mr. Church having beaten a gentlemanly retreat once the handsome guest began having words with the hostess. Fresh from political triumph, but still smarting from Fuller’s rebuff, Miss Lightfoot now appeared determined at least
...more
