The Professor squirmed, and pushed forward a chair, upon which Min settled her ample person, then, affecting to see Lossie for the first time, remarked in a tone of lofty rebuke:
"You shouldn't sit moping so near the fire, Miss Holden—it makes your nose red—for you're no chicken, and it's sinful to spoil your chances of a husband like that! Now Miss Gay, with her outdoor life and sports, will never grow old, or want for lovers, bless her!"
"It's just about these sports that I wanted to speak to you, Min," said the Professor with nervous haste. "The—ah—shocking exhibition my sister made of herself to-day—"
"Wonderful driving for a beginner—won-der-ful!" said Min admiringly. "Did you ever hear such cheering? Trotting 'ud soon look up if you could get half-a-dozen Miss Gays to drive their own horses."
"I don't believe that out of all England you'd find one other such immodest girl as my cousin," said Lossie, "or one family that would permit her to do what she did to-day."
"How could I stop her?" cried the Professor irascibly. "I nearly had a fit when she appeared on the track."
"You could have stopped it at the beginning," said Lossie sharply, "before she had ruined Carlton Mackrell's career, and made of herself a public scandal."
"It must be a comfort to you, Miss Lossie," said Min silkily, "that you hadn't enough influence with Mr. Mackrell to make him do anything wrong. He just worships Miss Gay, and when he found she had set her heart on the Gold Vase, why, he took care that she should get it, like the true lover that he is!"
"This woman has always been a bad influence with Gay," Lossie said furiously to Frank, "and they make a combination that will be too strong for you, if you don't look out."
"I came here to talk to Mr. Frank, not you," said Min equably. "My motto is, 'let every tub stand on its own bottom,' and if I were you, I'd try and get some beaux of my own, and not be always grabbing at Miss Gay's."