When the company dispersed, we went down to Lorand's room on the ground floor, Pepi accompanying us.
I thought he was going to pick a quarrel with me, and vowed inwardly I would thrash him.
But instead he merely laughed at me.
"Only imagine," he said, throwing himself on Lorand's bed, "this boy is jealous of me."
My brother laughed too.
It was truly ridiculous: one boy jealous of another.
Yes, I was surely jealous, but chivalrous too. I think I had read in some novel that it was the custom to reply in some such manner to like ridicule:
"Sir, I forbid you to take that lady's name in vain."
They laughed all the more.
"Why, he is a delightful fellow, this Desi," said Pepi. "See, Lorand, he will cause you a deal of trouble. If he learns to smoke, he will be quite an Othello."