“Try it and see. You’ve a right to say what you please to me, Mumps. Hand it over.”
“It’s about Miss Fisher.”
Billy turned and slapped him on the shoulder. “Good for you! I’m sick of hearing her called ‘the Fish.’ It’s a positive disgrace, that nickname.”
Sydney’s reply was halting, as if he were feeling his way. “Did you ever reckon it might be partly her own fault?”
“No. Why?”
“Well, they call Miss Carter ‘the Queen’; does that make you sick?”
“That’s different. I began that myself. We always called her that in California,—the Queen of Sheba. But Fish—” He made a gesture of disgust.
“Yet, if the boys called Miss Carter ‘the Cart’ would you feel the same about it?”
“Search me. I don’t get you.”
“It’s this way: Miss Carter is the style of girl that makes any name you give her—well, kind of fine and all right. But with Miss Fisher—”