Page:The Princess Casamassima (London and New York, Macmillan & Co., 1886), Volume 1.djvu/158

 scene poor Pinnie flamed up for a moment. 'Isn't there plenty of young fellows down in that low part where she lives, without her ravaging over here? Why can't she stick to her own beat, I should like to know?' Hyacinth had flushed at this inquiry, and she saw something in his face which made her change her tone. 'Just promise me this, my precious child: that if you get into any sort of mess with that piece you'll immediately confide it to your poor old Pinnie.'

'My poor old Pinnie sometimes makes me quite sick,' Hyacinth remarked, for answer. 'What sort of a mess do you suppose I'll get into?'

'Well, suppose she does come it over you that you promised to marry her?'

'You don't know what you're talking about. She doesn't want to marry any one to-day.'

'Then what does she want to do?'

'Do you imagine I would tell a lady's secrets?' the young man inquired.

'Dear me, if she was a lady, I shouldn't be afraid!' said Pinnie.

'Every woman's a lady when she has placed herself under one's protection,' Hyacinth rejoined, with his little manner of a man of the world.

'Under your protection? Laws!' cried Pinnie, staring. 'And pray, who's to protect you?'

As soon as she had said this she repented, because it seemed just the sort of exclamation that would have made Hyacinth bite her head off. One of the things she loved him for, however, was that he gave you touching surprises in this line, had sudden inconsistencies of temper that were