"But do you call that girl pretty?"
Mr. Lenox looked portentously grave. "She has handsome hair," he ventured.
"Hair! What's hair! Anybody can have handsome hair, that will pay for it."
"She has not paid for hers."
"No, and I don't mean that Tom shall. Now George, you must help. I brought you along to help. Tom is lost if we don't save him. He must not be left alone with this girl; and if he gets talking to her, you must mix in and break it up, make love to her yourself, if necessary. And we must see to it that they do not go off walking together. You must help me watch and help me hinder. Will you?"
"Really, I should not be grateful to anyone who did me such kind service."
"But it is to save Tom."
"Save him! From what?"
"From a low marriage. What could be worse?"
"Adjectives are declinable. There is low, lower, lowest."