rich, attractive young man should suddenly appear upon the scene and show
an interest in the angelic Christine." (By this time Riatt had turned
again to her, and she looked straight into his eyes as she ran through
her list of adjectives.) "Don't you think it would be my duty to distract
his attention--to go almost any length to distract his attention?"

"However personally disagreeable to you the process might be?"

"Probably if he were as I described him, the process would not be so
disagreeable."

He smiled. There was no denying he found her amusing.

In the meantime, the couple across the table had reached a somewhat
similar point.

Hickson had said as they sat down:

"Well, and what do you think of this new fellow?"

Christine's natural irritation appeared in her answer.

"I have hardly had an opportunity of judging," she answered, "but,
watching your sister's attentions to him, I would say he must be
extremely attractive."

Hickson looked a little dashed.

"Oh," he said, "Nancy does not mean anything when she goes on like that."