"Go on," she said breathlessly.
"You are well liked by everybody here," he continued, carefully avoiding more pointed personalities, "and you have grown so used to being liked by everybody that it would hurt you cruelly if you were not. Isn't that true?"
"Yes," assented Molly gravely, after a moment's consideration.
"You want to hold first place in their thoughts and in their goodwill. You want to be first with them and you want them to show to you and to each other by their actions that they are your best friends and are going to stand by you. Do I read you right?"
"Yes, of course I want all the boys to like me. I've known them so long, and I should feel dreadfully if they didn't. But what do you mean by it? I don't understand."
The silhouette moved uneasily. "Now don't get angry," he pleaded. "Take to-night. To speak plainly, you want to be the woman who receives the most attention at that ball. Answer frankly."
"Well," confessed the gill after another moment's hesitation, "frankly then, I do."
"You will not."
"Why?"
"Because the woman who came this afternoon, Bismarck Anne, will take your place."