Page:Elizabeth's Pretenders.djvu/220

Rh "You are very unjust to my friend, Ally. You want to make out that she is a flirt. She is nothing of the kind. She is ignorant of the world, and chooses, theoretically, to believe, or to fancy she believes, that all men are alike—bad. But, as she has to associate with them, she gets as much amusement out of their society as she can."

"She certainly contrives to get a good deal, in one way or another. But don't let us begin the old story over again, Hatty. Miss Shaw and I have nothing in common. I did something for her once; it was not much—still it was something. According to you, she is well able to take care of herself. I do not trouble myself more about her. I certainly am not going to join the crowd of her admirers."

"I think your tone is very unchivalrous," returned his sister, severely. "You make no allowance for the girl's youth. She behaved foolishly about that horrid Monsieur Doucet, I admit. But what did it amount to? Ignorance of Frenchmen's ideas and conduct towards women. As soon as she saw her mistake"

"She did not see it for a very long time."

"Possibly. But as soon as she did see it, she exposed him courageously—more as one of our own countrywomen would have done than most English girls, I fancy; and has probably incurred his lasting enmity in consequence."

He was silent for a moment.

"The subject is of no importance—to me. But may I ask you to say truthfully whether she did or did not encourage this fellow George in a curious way for a girl