No doubt her sharp eyes had seen Mr. Jeffries approach. She gave him a helpless look, and he took the cords from her fumbling hands and closed the window for her. It was the more cleverly done that she detained Mr. Jeffries and managed to get closed the window which Louie wanted open at one and the same time. She turned her prominent brown eyes in gratitude to Mr. Jeffries.
"Oh, thank you so much! You see, I've got rather a cold, and I'm going to a dance and don't vant to make it any vorse," she explained. "You don't dance, do you, Mr. Jeffries?"
But Mr. Jeffries merely replied "No," and turned away at once. Miss Levey turned to Kitty again.
"He needn't think he's put me off!" she said. "I vill find out! I shall offer him some tickets now, for self and lady. And I bet if she dances I'll make him buy them!"
Kitty tossed her head. "I should expect the gentleman I was engaged to to take me to dances," she said.
"But Archie didn't say 'engaged.' Just after somebody, I should say—and don't I just vish her joy!"
"It's evidently nobody at the School," mused Kitty Windus. "Archie was almost certain about that."
"Vell, it isn't me, if you're thinking of suspecting me!" said Miss Levey merrily. "I vouldn't touch him with the end of a long pole."
"Chance is a fine thing, my dear," remarked Miss Windus.
"Opportunity's another." (This reply, Louie had noted, was de rigueur.)