Page:The Princess Casamassima (London and New York, Macmillan & Co., 1886), Volume 1.djvu/231

 female, with those paws?' Muniment inquired, exhibiting ten work-stained fingers.

'Buy a pair of gloves,' said Hyacinth, who recognised the serious character of this obstacle. But after a moment he added, 'No, you oughtn't to do that; she wants to see dirty hands.'

'That's easy enough; she needn't send for me for the purpose. But isn't she making game of you?'

'It's very possible, but I don't see what good it can do her.'

'You are not obliged to find excuses for the pampered classes. Their bloated luxury begets evil, impudent desires; they are capable of doing harm for the sake of harm. Besides, is she genuine?'

'If she isn't, what becomes of your explanation?' asked Hyacinth.

'Oh, it doesn't matter; at night all cats are gray. What ever she is, she's an idle, bedizened jade.'

'If you had seen her, you wouldn't talk of her that way.'

'God forbid I should see her, then, if she's going to corrupt me!'

'Do you suppose she'll corrupt me?' Hyacinth demanded, with an expression of face and a tone of voice which produced, on his friend's part, an explosion of mirth.

'How can she, after all, when you are already such a little mass of corruption?'

'You don't think that,' said Hyacinth, looking very grave.

'Do you mean that if I did I wouldn't say it? Haven't you noticed that I say what I think?'

'No, you don't, not half of it: you're as close as a fish.'