"I would like to know her very much," said he, "but she didn't seem
to like me."

"Not like you!" cried the other. "Why, how perfectly outrageous!"

"It was not her fault," said Montague, smiling; "I am afraid I got
myself a bad reputation."

"Oh, you mean about Mrs. Winnie!" exclaimed Lucy.

"Yes," said he, "that's it."

"I wish you would tell me about it," said she.

"There is nothing much to tell. Mrs. Winnie proceeded to take me up
and make a social success of me, and I was fool enough to come when
she invited me. Then the first thing I knew, all the gossips were
wagging their tongues."

"That didn't do you any harm, did it?" asked Lucy.

"Not particularly," said he, shrugging his shoulders. "Only here is
a woman whom I would have liked to know, and I don't know her.
That's all."

Lucy gave him a sly glance. "You need a sister," she said, smiling.
"Somebody to fight for you!"

* * *