"Oh! The gentleman bestows praise! Such a kind gentleman to perceive merit and confer his distinguished approval. Any girl ought to endeavour to earn further marks of consideration and applause from so gracious a gentleman——"
"Steve, you tormenting little wretch, can't you be serious with me?"
"I am," she said, laughing. "Tell me what you've been doing to-day?"
"Hunting for lodgings. What have you been doing?"
"Watching Helen make a study of a horse out in the covered court. Then we had tea. Then Oswald dropped in and played the piano divinely, as he always does. Then Helen and I started to dress for dinner. Then you called. Where did you look for lodgings?"
"Oh, I went to about all the studio buildings——"
"Aren't you going to open the house?"
"No. It's too lonely."
"Yes," she said, "it would be too lonely. You and I couldn't very well live there together unless we had an older woman."
"No."