“Pray, is that any of your business, sir?” she demanded, pertly, and was amazed when he answered, promptly:
“Yes.”
“But how?” curiously.
“Forewarned is forearmed. I did not want to fall in love with you myself if there were any prior claim on you,” he replied, coolly and teasingly.
“I am not the least afraid you will commit such a folly,” she replied, carelessly. “If it were my step-sister, now—but it could never be me!”
“Your step-sister!” with a frown. “That would be impossible, you know. But tell me why you think so.”
“Oh, she is dignified like the Barrys, and has such an odd, charming style of beauty—yellow hair and yellow eyes.”
“Like a tigress,” said Cecil Laurens, and Molly started.
“I never thought of it before, but she is like that,” she exclaimed. “She can be so sweet and purring, yet all the time you seem to feel that she has cruel claws hidden under her furred paws. She can be so hard, too—oh, you should see the letter she wrote me!”
“And you think I could fall in love with such a tiger-cat as you describe. Thank you,” he said, with frank pique.