"Dr. Balsam told me," interjected Alice.
"Dr. Balsam had very little to talk of. I am talking of his being unknown."
"But I believe he will be known some day. You don't know how clever and ambitious he is. He told me--"
But Mrs. Yorke had no mind to let Alice dwell on what he had told her. He was too good an advocate.
"Stuff! I don't care what he told you! Alice, he is a perfectly unknown and untrained young--creature. All young men talk that way. He is perfectly gauche and boorish in his manner--"
"Why, mamma, he has beautiful manners!" exclaimed Alice "I heard a lady saying the other day he had the manners of a Chesterfield."
"Chester-nonsense!" exclaimed Mrs. Yorke.
"I think he has, too, mamma."
"I don't agree with you," declared Mrs. Yorke, energetically. "How would he appear in New York? Why, he wears great heavy shoes, and his neckties are something dreadful."
"His neckties are bad," admitted Alice, sadly.