Her bravado deserted her in the presence of these two merry visitors.

They seemed so at ease, so knowing, so carelessly polite, that Azalea felt as if they were beings from some other sphere.

The Farnsworths, she knew, made allowance for her because she was a guest in their household, but these people seemed to expect her to be like themselves, and she suddenly realised she couldn't be as they were.
A strange contradictory streak in her nature often made her assume an accomplishment she did not possess, and now, knowing she couldn't chat in their lively fashion, she took refuge in an attitude of bold hilarity, and talked loud and fast.
"I'll love you, if you make love to me good and proper," she said, with a burst of laughter.

"But I've got a beau back home, who'll go for you, if he knows it!" "Oh, we'll keep it secret," returned young Gale; "I'm awfully good at keeping secrets of that sort! Trust me.

And it shall be my earnest endeavour to cut out said beau.