Wrenn started to
explain how he had come to enter Istra's room.
"Why shouldn't you?" Nelly asked, curtly, and turned to Miss
Proudfoot.
"She doesn't seem to care much," he reflected, relieved and
stabbed in his humble vanity and reattracted to Nelly, all at
once. He was anxious about her opinion of Istra and her opinion
of himself, and slightly defiant, as she continued to regard him
as a respectable person whose name she couldn't exactly
remember.
Hadn't he the right to love Istra if he wanted to? he desired
to know of himself. Besides, what had he _done?_ Just gone out
walking with his English hotel acquaintance Istra! He hadn't
been in her room but just a few minutes. Fine reason that was
for Nelly to act like a blooming iceberg! Besides, it wasn't
as if he were engaged to Nelly, or anything like that.
Besides, of course Istra would never care for him. There were
several other besideses with which he harrowed himself while
trying to appear picnically agreeable. He was getting very much
confused, and was slightly abrupt as he said to Nelly, "Let's
walk over to that high rock on the edge.
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