Lucy looked at him suspiciously.
"He liked my dress," she went on.
"Did, eh? Ches must be coming on. Never knew him to notice a girl's dress before."
"I saw him looking at it,"--Lucy's tone was impressive--"and asked if he liked pink. He said it was his favourite colour."
"H'm! I must take lessons of Ches."
"He looked at me so much I was awfully embarrassed," said Lucy, under her breath, with drooping eyes.
Just favoured her with another curious glance. "Maybe he's never seen just your kind before," he suggested. "Lucy, by the time you're twenty you'll be quite an old hand at this society business, won't you?"
"What makes you think so?" she asked, not sure whether to be gratified or not.
"Oh, your small talk is so--well, so--er--interesting. A fellow always likes to hear about another fellow--about his eyes, and so on."
"Oh, you mustn't be jealous," said Lucy, with a glance which finished Just. He choked in his napkin, and turned his attention to Carolyn Houghton, on his other side.