"If you don't like him why trouble about him?" Sally replied in her
usually defiant manner. "You always take good care to trouble about my
men. You tried all you could to get Jimmy away from me, yet you
pretend to father that you never flirted with him."

"I didn't flirt with him; once a young man looks at you you think no
one must speak to him but yourself. If young Meason asks me to dance
with him, I cannot refuse; I am not going to make myself ridiculous
though you were to look all the daggers in the world at me, but as for
flirting with him, I never cared enough about him."

"And what about meeting him in London?"

Maggie coloured a little, and repudiated the accusation.

"You told him you were going to London, and you asked him if he were
going, and what he would be doing that day. I don't know what more you
could say."

"I never said any such thing."

"I have it from his own lips."

"It isn't true; I will ask him to your face if he ever said such a
thing; I will tell father that."

"Well, there's no use in quarrelling," said Grace, "and I wouldn't
advise you to worry father about it. You know he can't stand the name
of Meason. It seems to me that neither of you care much whom you flirt
with, you like so many young men."