Ferdinand laughed. She held out her hands in front of her.
"Why, my dear, there have been times and seasons when we've heard of little else but Reginald Townsend."
"Perhaps your man is not my man. My man's tall."
"So's our man!"
"And dark."
"You couldn't paint our man blacker than he is."
"And very--very swagger, don't you know."
"Our man's the swaggerest man in town. It's impossible that there could be two Reginald Townsends. What do you know of him?"
"Oh, I only met him once. But he rather struck me."
"Take care that he doesn't strike you too much. He's not only the swaggerest, he's also the wickedest man in town. I could tell you tales of him which would shock your innocent ears. He's a terror, isn't he, Fred?"