"Tell us what Lispenard said, Dorothy. I'm curious myself."

"May I, Mr. Stirling?

"I would rather not," said Peter.

And Dorothy did not tell him, but in the drawing-room she told Miss De
Voe:

"He said that except his professor of archaeology at Heidelberg, Mr.
Stirling was the nicest old dullard he'd ever met, and that he must be a
very good chap to smoke with."

"He said that, Dorothy?" exclaimed Miss De Voe, contemptuously.

"Yes."

"How ridiculous," said Miss De Voe. "Lispenard's always trying to hit
things off in epigrams, and sometimes he's very foolish." Then she
turned to Miss Leroy. "It was very nice, your knowing Mr. Stirling."

"I only met him that once. But he's the kind of man somehow that you
remember. It's curious I've never heard of him since then."

"You know he's the man who made that splendid speech when the poor
children were poisoned summer before last."

"I can't believe it!"