"I don't so much mind looking at them."
"But you'd hate to touch them?"
He laughed.
"Yes, fair catechist, I would; and if the murder must out, it's because of Emmie's velvet jacket that Emmie's ankle's hurt. She wouldn't have fallen if I had lifted her down instead of giving her my hand."
"Well, you are funny! I don't think much of velveteen myself, but I like real velvet. And all of us girls simply love the feel of mullein, and when we want to have nice pink cheeks," she said, in a burst of confidence, "we do like this."
She rubbed the leaf hard first on one cheek and then on the other, till each one flew a scarlet flag.
"Most effective," said Ethan, with deliberate eyes on the girl; "but for my part, I'd rather my cheeks were white, or even pea-green, than have that thing touch me."
Val threw the mullein away.
"I'm afraid I haven't any fine feelings," she said. "I like everything."
"I don't believe it."