"Of course. Can't you see I'm in earnest, and talk rationally for once?"
"Hang it all, am I not talking rationally, as rationally as ever I did in my life?"
"That's not saying much. You needn't be affronted, it's an honour for you to have me talk to you like this."
"Is it though? I don't see it—I think you are beastly unfair. I do think that." And he pulled out his handkerchief and blew his nose by way of protest. "Just now you were whimpering because you had no one to care for you,—and I believe you said it just to get me to say I did." Suddenly—"It was a shabby trick, Leo; and then to shut me up like that, when I only meant to do my best for you!"
"Be quiet, be quiet." Despite a twinge of conscience, Leo held her own stoutly. "No one but you would ever have thought of such a thing."
"That's all you know about it. My grandmother did. There!"
"You spoke to her, I suppose?"
"Not I. She put me up to it. Honour bright, she did. I daresay I should have thought of it for myself," continued Val, quickly, "but I hadn't, till she did. She was always praising you, and saying how pretty you were, and what a bad business your marriage was. I mean—I mean——"
"Don't get flustered, Val. You know we have agreed always to be straight with each other. I can quite understand Mrs. Purcell's not approving my marriage."
"But she was awfully sorry for you, you know when;" he nodded significantly; "and she told me to make friends and try and cheer you up, and then——"