“What little friend?”
“The little, round-cheeked niece of Mrs Lloyd—Polly, isn’t her name?”
“Really, I don’t know, Miss Rea,” said Pratt, smiling.
“Fie, Mr Pratt!” said Fin. “Why, you are always being seen with her in the lane. Is it true you are to be engaged?”
Pratt looked at her sharply.
“Does it give you so much pleasure to tease?” he said, quietly.
“Tease? I thought it was a settled thing.”
“I don’t think you did,” said Pratt, quietly.
“Well,” said Fin, laughing, “Mr Mervyn told me the other day that—oh, look at that now!”
The last words were said by Fin to herself; for as she mentioned Mr Mervyn’s name Pratt turned slowly away, and going to a table began to turn over the leaves of a book.