And you're to do it as if
you liked it. You very probably will like it, once you've broken the
ice."
For a few minutes they rode on in silence. Then Simpkins spoke again,--
"Do you mean that I should--that I should hold her hand and kiss her?"
"After you've proposed to her," said Meldon, "not before. It would be
what Callaghan calls impropriety of conduct if you did it before, and
he'd probably interrupt you. He doesn't like that sort of thing. I
shouldn't like it myself either, and I don't think the judge would,
although he's evidently a liberal-minded man."
"I couldn't possibly do that," said Simpkins. "I've only spoken to her
three times."
"You'll have to," said Meldon, "after she's accepted you. It's the
usual thing. Miss King will be angry, quite rightly angry and
insulted, if you don't. You read any novel you like, and you'll find
that as soon as ever the hero has proposed to the heroine, often
without waiting for her answer, he rains passionate kisses on some part
of her, generally her hair. I don't ask you to go as far as that; but
one or two kisses--you can begin with her hand if you like, and work on
gradually.
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