Loring is awfully nice, and immensely
good-looking, and ... and all that. But...." She hesitated again, then
went on as before: "The _twuth_ is, Sophy--that he's _much_ more the
sort of man I might fancy, than your sort. He's ... he's ... you see, he
_stwikes_ me as too _fwivolous_ for you, you _sewious_ darling!"

Sophy said, in a flat, tired voice:

"Don't you mean he's too--young for me, Olive?"

"Oh, no! _No_, darling! Fancy! How wi_dic_ulous!" Her tone was the acme
of sincerity. "I never had such an absurd thought for one moment! I only
meant that he's ... well ... a bit larky for any one like you. And ...
and ... he's so ... so twe_men_dously Amewican ... and you aren't, you
know...."

"Yes," said Sophy wearily. She wished with all her might that Olive
would go away. She was very fond of her, but she didn't like even those
kindly little fingers fumbling at the latch of her heart. She wanted to
be alone--in the dark.

"Were you _des_perwately in love with him, Sophy?"

This "_were_ you" hurt almost as much as the "even now" had done. Was
her state of mind so apparent, then, that even affectionate but flighty
Olive had divined it?

She got up, and went round the room as though in search of something. As
she moved about, she said casually:

"Dear Olive, do you think I would have married again if I hadn't been
very much in love?"

"No. Of course not," replied the other absently. She had not at all said
what she had come to say. Suddenly she too rose, and went over to Sophy.
She flipped an arm about her shoulders.

"Darling," she said. "You are so _wowwied_.... I can't bear it!... I
know perfectly well what's wowwying you.... The fact is Jack and I
talked it over before I came in here just now.... I'm going to be
perfectly _fwank_.... May I?"

"Yes ... do ... please," said Sophy. She was pale now. She had felt
something of what was coming as soon as Olive mentioned John Arundel.
"Go on, Olive ... please do. I beg you to," she urged, as the other
still hesitated.

"Well, then, my sweet--would you like Jack to speak to Mr. Loring--oh,
_vewy_ tactfully, of course! ... but just make him understand, you know,
that one doesn't ... that it isn't ... _cus_tomawy ... for people to
joke ... er ... in that way ... with ... er ... personages like Mr...."

But Sophy broke in on her. She felt that she could not bear the sound of
the overwhelming name whose owner Loring had called "foxy" to his august
countenance.