“But there's one piece of advice I should like to give you,” proceeded Tom.
“What is that?” inquired Herbert, looking his cousin in the face.
“Don't feel too much set up by Julia Godfrey's notice. She only took notice of you out of pity, and to encourage you. If you had been in her own position in society—”
“Like you, for instance!”
“Yes, like me,” said Tom, complacently, “she would have been more ceremonious. I thought I would just mention it to you, Mason, or you might not understand it.”
It was only natural that Herbert should be provoked by this elaborate humiliation suggested by Tom, and his cousin's offensive assumption of superiority. This led him to a retort in kind.
“I suppose that is the reason she took so little notice of you,” he said.
Tom was nettled at this statement of a fact, but he answered in an off-hand manner, “Oh, Julia and I are old friends. I've danced with her frequently at dancing school.”
Herbert happened to remember what Julia had said of his cousin, and was rather amused at this assumption of intimacy.
“I am much obliged to you for your information,” said Herbert, “though I am rather surprised that you should take so great an interest in my affairs.”