Elizabeth took another rather sullenly. But such a mood never lasted longer than half a minute with her, and she was suddenly struck with the notion that Sarah Emily might furnish some valuable information on the subject that was worrying her. Sarah Emily had such a vast experience with young men.
"Sarah Emily," she said, rather hesitatingly, "did anybody—I mean any young man ever—kiss you?"
Sarah Emily gave an hysterical shriek. She doubled up over the table, almost dipping her face into the dish-pan, and went off into a hurricane of giggles.
"Oh, oh, you awful, awful bad girl, Lizzie Gordon!" she screamed, whereupon Elizabeth knew she had not been bad at all, but had said something that had mightily pleased Sarah Emily.
"But did they though?" she insisted, showing her even white teeth in a sympathetic laugh. "Eh, Sarah Emily?"
The young woman straightened herself and suddenly became dignified.
She darted a withering glance at Elizabeth. "Not much, they didn't!" she cried righteously. "Jist let me ketch any o' them—yes, jist any one o' the whole gang up to any such penoeuvres. I'd soon fix 'em!"
There was so much scorn in her demeanor that Elizabeth was disconcerted.
"Why?" she asked anxiously. "Ain't it nice, Sarah Emily?"
"No, it ain't!" snapped Sarah Emily emphatically.