“A little alarmed with regard to me! What can you mean?” said Leslie.
“Let us go out somewhere,” said Mr. Parker. “Somehow it seems to me that these walls may have ears, and there are such a lot of girls coming and going. So this is what you call a college, is it?”
“This is one of the houses of residence at St. Wode’s College,” replied Leslie. “The college and lecture-rooms themselves are in a separate building; but of course we attend a great many lectures at the men’s halls.”
“Very improper, indeed, young lady; but if it’s the
fashion, why, I can’t say a word. In my time such an opportunity for indiscriminate flirtation——”
“Oh, we none of us dream of flirting,” said Leslie with a laugh; “and then we are properly chaperoned, you know. I assure you the thing is most correct and proper.”
“Well, I’ll take your word for it, though I don’t quite believe it all the same. When pretty girls are about, and young men to the fore, we always know what that sort of thing means.”
“You ought to come here for a time, Mr. Parker; seeing is believing.”
“Not I, not I, young lady. Do you think I’d mix myself up in a mare’s nest of this sort? No, no; but I am bound to believe the words of a pretty girl like yourself.”
“Would you really care to go for a walk, Mr. Parker?”