“Why—oh, she is a wicked-hearted girl!—she knows, just as well as I do that the main reason Mr. Sheridan came was so that he might meet Lily Deacon. And she’s gone and tied him up with Mealy Amelia!”
“Huh?” said Paul.
“He’ll be with Amelia until the dance is over!”
“Is that your friend, Sheridan, down there? He’s sort of a nice-looking fellow,” remarked Paul, condescendingly. “I thought he was about ninety. Seems a bit glum, doesn’t he?”
“Well, you’d be, too, if you had Amelia talking about the infinite with you for a whole evening. I saw Dolly introduce him to her at least half an hour ago, and he hasn’t been rescued yet. Dolly did that on purpose—just to tease me!”
“To tease you? Humph, you seem to think yourself a pretty important person, don’t you?” observed Paul with a grin.
“Well, I asked Dolly myself please to introduce him to Miss Lily as soon as she could. I told her he was very sad, and needed cheering up—and just see what she’s done!”
“I must say you aren’t very easy on Amelia. You usually seem to like everyone. What’s the matter with her?”
“I do like nearly everyone, but I do not like Amelia. She’s a—a hypocrite,” said Jane. “She’s a fake. That’s what I don’t like about her. I don’t like people who write about the stars, and then turn around and say mean, nasty, cattish little things just because they’re jealous. Oh, poor Mr. Sheridan!”
The object of Jane’s ardent sympathy really deserved it. He was doing his duty manfully and gallantly; but every now and then a haunted and desperate expression came into his face, as he summoned up all his faculties to respond to Amelia’s discourse.