CHAPTER XXII. ADVICE.
Mrs. Davis drew Numè into a corner of the balcony, and sat down to give her a little lecture.
"Now, dear, I'm going to speak to you, not as your hostess, but as your—a—chaperon—and friend. You must not speak too familiarly to any man. Now, you ought not to have sat with Mr. Sinclair so long. There were lots of other men around you, and you didn't speak to any of them."
"Bud I do nod lig' all the udder mans," the girl protested. "Me? I lig' only the—a—Mister Sinka."
"Yes; but, Numè, you must not like people so—so quickly. And you must not let any one know it, if you do."
"Oa, I tell him so," the girl said, stubbornly. "I tell Mr.—Sinka thad I lig' him vaery much; and I ask thad he sit with me, so thad too many peoples nod to speak to me."
Mrs. Davis looked very much concerned at this confession.
"Now, that was imprudent, my dear; besides, you know," she spoke very slowly and deliberately, "Mr. Sinclair is to be married soon to Miss Ballard, and so you ought to be very particular, so that no one can have the chance to say anything about you."