“Oh, me!” answered Barbara. “I'm only a child. Nobody takes any notice of me—except other kids, like you.” For some reason she appeared out of conceit with herself, which was not her usual state of mind.
“But everybody thinks you beautiful,” I maintained.
“Who?” she asked quickly.
“Dr. Hal,” I answered.
We were with our backs to the light, so that I could not see her face.
“What did he say?” she asked, and her voice had more of contentment in it.
I could not remember his exact words, but about the sense of them I was positive.
“Ask him what he thinks of me, as if you wanted to know yourself,” Barbara instructed me, “and don't forget what he says this time. I'm curious.” And though it seemed to me a foolish command—for what could he say of her more than I myself could tell her—I never questioned Barbara's wishes.
Yet if I am right in thinking that jealousy of Mrs. Teidelmann may have clouded for a moment Barbara's sunny nature, surely there was no reason for this, seeing that no one attracted greater attention throughout the dinner than the parlour-maid.
“Where ever did you get her from?” asked Mrs. Florret, Barbara having just descended the kitchen stairs.