“About which?”
“About either. You’re unpleasantly self-righteous and criminally unamiable.”
“Oh, Nellie, to whom?”
“To me. Also, you’re stupid!”
“Thanks. That’s my misfortune. What else?”
“That’s enough to begin on. I could pull your ears in chagrin. You’ve treated my advice with the scantest ceremony, made ducks and drakes of the opportunities I’ve provided, and lastly you’ve gone and gotten Nina Jaffray talked about——”
“Nellie! Please! I can’t permit——”
“Oh, fudge, Phil. Nina is well able to look after herself. It isn’t of Nina I’m thinking.”
“Who then?”
“You! You silly goose. There isn’t any spectacle in the world half so ludicrous as a chivalrous man defending the fame of a woman who doesn’t care whether she’s defended or not.”