"Oh, don't you go thinking I'm jealous. I know you're all right."
"If I'm all right, who's wrong?"
"Well—of course I understand what you want with her; but I can't see what she wants with you."
"You little fool. What should she want, except to help me?"
Flossie said nothing to that, for indeed her mind had not formulated any clear charge against Miss Harden. Keith had annoyed her and she wanted to punish him a little. She was also curious to see in what manner the chivalry that had deserted her would defend Miss Harden.
He stood still and looked at her with brilliant, angry eyes.
"You don't understand a great deal, Flossie; but there's one thing you shall understand—You are not to say these things about Miss Harden. Not that you'll do her any harm, mind, by saying them. Think for one minute who and what she is, and you'll see that the only person you are harming is yourself."
Flossie did think for a minute, and remembered that Lucia was the daughter of a baronet and the cousin of an editor; and she did see that this time she had gone a bit too far.
"And in injuring yourself, you know, you injure me," he said more gently. "I don't know whether that will appeal at all to you."
It did appeal to her in the sense in which her practical mind understood that injury.