“No, I dare say you don’t,” said Pen, mopping her eyes. “But it is excessively amusing for all that. What made you say anything so silly?”
“I couldn’t think of anything else to say. And as for its being silly, you may think me very ill-favoured, but I have already had several suitors!”
“I think you are very pretty, but I am not going to be a suitor,” said Pen firmly.
“I don’t want you to be! For one thing, I find you quite odiously rude, and for another you are much too young, which is why I chose you, because I thought I should be quite safe in so doing.”
“Well you are, but I never heard of anything so foolish in my life! Pray, what was the use of telling your father such fibs?”
“I told you,” said Lydia crossly. “I scarcely knew what I was saying, and I thought—But everything has gone awry!”
Pen looked at her with misgiving. “What do you mean?”
“Papa is going to wait on your cousin this morning.”
“What!” exclaimed Pen.
Lydia nodded. “Yes, and he is not angry at all. He is pleased!”