"I will, I want to," said Skippy, summoning up all the powers of his imagination.
"You know," said Miss Tupper, a little embarrassed, "I heard, I couldn't help hearing all you thaid that night on the boat."
"You did. . . . Good heavens!"
"Perhaps you don't want to tell me."
"I might as well make a clean breast of it," said Skippy, wondering where the exigencies of the situation would lead him.
"I'm afwaid Jack," said Miss Tupper sympathetically, "that your fwiend Arthur Gween ith not a vewy good influenth for you."
"Snorky?" said Skippy momentarily surprised.
"He theems to have vewy low athothiations," said Miss Tupper earnestly.
"You mean racing and jockeys and all that sort of stuff?" said Skippy, willing to follow the line of least resistance for a while. "Oh, Arthur isn't half bad."
"I don't think you thee him ath he weally ith," said Miss Tupper firmly. "No I don't think he ith at all the pwoper perthon for you to be with."