“You were to have seen, Mr. Ellett, how foolish we can be,” said Rose, as they stood by the door. “I also promised Mr. Carington that experience.”
“And are we not to have it, after all?”
“No. Papa and I had arranged some very neat situations for your discomfiture; but papa finally decided that they were too difficult, or at least needed some preparation.”
“But I should really like it. I can do a little at it myself, and Fred used to be a very clever actor. But, then, he does so many things well. Do you do many things well?”
“Everything,” said the young woman. “We do everything well here in this family, even to liking our friends better than other people like their friends.”
“Don’t you think our friends’ friends are often great troubles? I think a fellow’s friends ought not to have any friends. That is, a man’s friends should not be the friends of his friends. That wouldn’t be so bad now, would it, if it wasn’t a bit mixed?”
Hearing Rose’s merriment, as poor Ellett endeavored to untangle his sentence, Anne and Carington turned to join them.
“What is the fun, Oliver?” said Carington.
“I’ve made an overrun,” said Ellett. “When I try to talk too fast, I am very apt to do it.”
“And what is an ‘overrun’?” asked Anne Lyndsay.