The girl hesitated, but she was candid by nature.
"Perhaps I'd better answer. You have it in you to work determinedly and, when it's necessary, to do things that men with less courage would shrink from; but I'm doubtful whether yours is the temperament that leads to success. You haven't the huckster's instincts; you're not cold-blooded enough; you wouldn't cajole your friends nor truckle to your enemies."
"If I adopted the latter course, it would certainly be against the grain," Vane confessed.
Lucy laughed.
"Well, I mean to go on earning my living; but you may take me up to
London for a few days, if you want to, and buy me some hats and things.
Then I don't mind your giving something to the Emancipation Society."
"I am not sure that I believe in emancipation; but you may have ten guineas."
"Thank you."
Lucy glanced around toward Carroll, who was approaching them with Mabel.
"I'll give you a piece of advice," she added. "Stick to that man. He's cooler and less headstrong than you are; he'll prove a useful friend."
"What are you two talking about?" asked Carroll. "You look animated."