“I am. What do you want me to do?”
“To be nice to me at Cambridge! I shall be a shy, lone Fresher, and you can make things much livelier for me if you like. I want you to like! Dan Vernon will be there, too, but he’s so serious and clever that he won’t be much good for the fun part. I want you to promise not to be superior and proud, but a real friend to take us about, and dance with us at the balls, and get up picnics on the river. I can manage the work part for myself, but I want some help for the fun!”
She expected an instant response, but Ralph was too cautious to be drawn into rash promises.
“Er—what exactly do you mean by ‘we’?”
“Myself and my chum, of course—Hannah Vernon.”
“Plain Hannah?”
“Plain Hannah!”
Ralph shook his handsome head.
“I make no promise as regards plain Hannah. I’m not particularly partial to plain Hannahs, but I’ll do my level best for Darsie Garnett. Like to! You can count upon me to do my best to give you a rattling good time.”
Darsie regarded him doubtfully, reflected that it was wisdom to accept what one could get, and smiled a gracious approval.