"Confound the cat!" he added, examining some red parallel lines
which suddenly decorated the back of his hand.

"She won't stand rubbing the wrong way," said Rex, smiling uneasily.

"Like the rest of us," said Elliott.

"More fool he who tries it," said Braith, and looked at Gethryn with
an affectionate smile that made him turn redder than before.

"Rex," began Clifford again, with that fine tact for which he was
celebrated, "own up! You spent last night warbling under the windows
of Lisette."

"Or Frisette," said Elliott, "or Cosette."

"Or Babette, Lisette, Frisette, Cosette, Babette!" chanted the two
young men in a sort of catch.

Braith so seldom swore, that the round oath with which he broke into
their vocal exercises stopped them through sheer astonishment. But
Clifford, determined on self-assertion and loving an argument,
especially out of season, turned on Braith and began:

"Why should not Youth love?"

"Love! Bah!" said Braith.

"Why Bah?" he persisted, stimulated by the disgust of Braith. "Now
if a man -- take Elliott, for example -- "