"Who is Marjorie?"
"My cousin, Marjorie Redmond. Your cousin too, as to that."
"Aren't you older?"
"Well, I should say so! What do you take me for? I am thirteen, almost fourteen."
And then their conversation was interrupted by the advent of Miss Herrick. Valentine had really extremely good manners, and his aunt was favorably impressed with her new nephew, despite the fact that he was precisely the age which she had most dreaded.
After a little conversation she went out in the carriage, and left the children together. She said to herself that she might as well begin at once to make the boy understand that she could not entertain him, and besides, the brother and sister had better become acquainted.
Elizabeth felt a terrible responsibility about the matter. She had an impression that boys never did what girls enjoyed doing; for instance, a boy would never play with a doll. But then Elizabeth did not care much for dolls herself. She had always preferred live animals.
"What shall I do with him?" she sighed to herself.
"I wish I had my wheel here," remarked Valentine, presently. "Do you ride?"
"A bicycle? No, indeed!"