"No, sir. Such ridiculous statements are forbidden. I shall think your eyes need treating almost as badly as do poor little Lottie's. Dear me, whatever are we going to do about that child?"
"If either of us were rich it would be an easy question to answer."
"True enough. I know what I'd do. And I believe you'd be a very generous young man, indeed—as long as being generous did not entail any particular work on your part."
"Oh—now—I call that unfair!" he complained. "We can't all be like you, Janice. I believe you lay awake nights thinking up nice things to do for folks——"
"There you go again—making fun of me," she said, shaking a gloved finger at him. "I don't claim to be a bit more unselfish than the next one. But I'm not lazy."
"Thanks! I suppose I am?"
"There you go—picking one up so quick," Janice repeated. "I do think, however, that you just don't care, a good deal of the time. If things only go on smoothly——"
"That's what I told you Christmas Day," he said, quickly.
"And isn't it so?"
"Well—it used to be," he admitted, shaking his head ruefully. "But
I'm not sure but that, since you've got me going——"