Ada fumbled for some little time with a massive silver watch-chain, and then said slowly—
‘Miss Askam, don’t you be shocked, but I have read some more of them—two of them. I did not tell Roger, because I knew he’d never ask me. He doesn’t really care about it, you know; it’s only that he hasn’t a head for stories, and that sort of thing; and he thinks every one else can care for the same dry things that he likes. I did try to read Macaulay’s “History,” but it was no use. What do I care for such things—things that happened hundreds and thousands of years ago——’ She saw a startled expression upon her auditor’s face, and went on: ‘There, I see I’m all wrong; but I did hate it so, that I can’t even remember what it was about, nor when it all happened. I can’t read such books, and that’s all about it; and yet, something I must have to read.’
‘Oh, I am so sorry that you did read those two other books!’ exclaimed Eleanor, earnestly.
And Ada Dixon thought how very odd she was, and not anything like as nice as Miss Wynter. Miss Wynter always encouraged her to talk about the novels of Laura Loveday, or about the poems of Augustus Sprout, or, indeed, about anything and everything that came into her head. Remembering this, and feeling that it was impossible for any one to know better about things than Miss Wynter, she took courage, and said—
‘Well, but, Miss Askam, I don’t see that Roger has a right to dictate things of that kind to me, especially when I’m not interested in the things that interest him. Miss Wynter always asks me all about the novels, and poetry, and things, and she says it amuses her immensely to hear about them.’
‘I daresay it does,’ said Eleanor, in a tone of such strong and unguarded displeasure, that Ada immediately thought, ‘She’s jealous of Miss Wynter for something. Ma said she was.’
‘But,’ Eleanor pursued, ‘you had not been dictated to. I understand that you promised Mr. Camm——’
‘Well, I did; but——’
‘But you should not have broken your promise. Please do excuse my saying it. I daresay I have no business to, but I feel so much interested in you and Mr. Camm. I have heard so much about him, and I think he must be so remarkably clever and interesting——’
‘Do you!’[you!’] exclaimed Ada, in unaffected astonishment. ‘Well, I never!’[‘Well, I never!’]