Leila knew it perfectly well, and she looked into the wickedly expressive young face of the girl beside her, eyes soft but unsmiling.
"Child, child," she murmured, "you do not know how much of a man a man can be!" "Yes, I do!" said Sylvia hotly.
Leila smiled.

"Hush, you little silly! I've talked Stephen and praised Stephen to you for days and days, and the moment I dare mention another man you fly at me, hair on end!" "Oh, Leila, I know it! I'm perfectly mad about him, that's all.

But don't you think he is looking like himself again?
And, Leila, isn't he strangely attractive ?--I don't mean just because I happen to be in love with him, but give me a perfectly cold and unbiassed opinion, dear, because there is simply no use in a girl's blinding herself to facts, or in ignoring certain fixed laws of symmetry, which it is perfectly obvious that Mr.Siward fulfils in those well-known and established proportions which--" "Sylvia!" "What ?" she asked, startled.
"Nothing.

Only for two solid weeks--" "Of course, if you are not interested--" "But I am, child--I am! desperately interested! He is handsome! I knew him before you did, and I thought so then!" "Did you ?" said Sylvia, troubled.
"Yes, I did.

When I wore short skirts I kissed him, too!" "Did you?
W--what did he wear ?" "Knickerbockers, silly! You don't think he was still in the cradle, do you?
I'm not as aged as that!" "I missed a great deal in my childhood," said Sylvia naively.
"By not knowing Stephen?
Pooh! He used to pinch me, and then we'd put out our tongues in mutual derision.