When at one a.m. on the following morning, "The Fastness" party had been driven home, Leonetta and Vanessa, much too excited to go to bed, lingered interminably over their undressing, and sat talking until nearly daybreak.
Vanessa was feeling very happy on the whole, because she had had more dances with Denis than she had expected. She was therefore quite prepared to be indulgent towards her school-friend, and to exchange notes without bitterness.
"You had a lovely time with Lord Henry, didn't you?" she said. "You are a flirt, Leo!"
"My dear, it was simply heavenly."
"And wasn't Denis wild!" Vanessa exclaimed, hoping to widen the breach between these two.
"Was he?"
"He was wild enough this afternoon, but when he saw you dancing so often with Lord Henry—well!——"
"What did he say this afternoon,—do tell me!"
"He said you were too young to be always talking all sorts of deep things with a man of forty."