“What! why! You don’t mean that there is anything there—that Tower is paying attention to—”
“Madre divina, how that seems to interest you, and how red you are! If it were not that you never met her before, and that your acquaintance did not seem to make rapid progress, then I should say you are in love with her yourself.”
I had to laugh at this, but felt my face flushing more. “And so,” said I, affecting a careless and indifferent tone, “the gay Fred Power is smitten at last!”
“Was it so very difficult a thing to accomplish?” said she, slyly.
“He seems to say so, at least. And the lady, how does she appear to receive his attentions?”
“Oh, I should say with evident pleasure and satisfaction, as all girls do the advances of men they don’t care for, nor intend to care for.”
“Indeed,” said I, slowly, “indeed, Senhora?” looking into her eyes as I spoke, as if to read if the lesson were destined for my benefit.
“There, don’t stare so!—every one knows that.”
“So you don’t think, then, that Lucy,—I mean Miss Dashwood—Why are you laughing so?”
“How can I help it; your calling her Lucy is so good, I wish she heard it; she’s the very proudest girl I ever knew.”