"About seventeen!" he lied.
"Well, I'm only just a bit older, nearly eighteen!" she said glibly. Her hand patted and smoothed her hair. "Nearly eighteen!" she repeated, as if the sound of the words gave her real pleasure.
"So we're sort of practically the same age!" suggested Philip.
"Are we now? Well, you are taller than me and only a month or so younger, so we'll call it quits, as we say on the stage!"
"On the stage?" Philip asked breathlessly.
"On the concert-platform, I do mean! Not low-down music-halls and musical comedies! I'm a singer!"
"By Jove!" Philip whispered, "I didn't know you were one of those!"
"One of those what?" she asked sharply.
"Singers!" he replied innocently. "Why, what?"
"Oh, it's all right, what's-your-name!" she said. "Oh, by the way, what is your name?"