Has he never succeeded in interesting you, Ella?
He told me that you were his friend--I believe he said his dearest friend." "And I believe that he told you the truth," said Ella.

"But, being his best friend and a woman, I refrain from constituting myself his champion.

You see we live in Philistia, my Phyllis, and the champions that Philistia sends forth usually come to grief; there was the case of one Goliath of Gath, for example.

I have no desire to have stones slung at me by the chosen people." "I'm not quite sure that I understand you," said Phyllis, with a very pretty pucker on her forehead.

"You don't mean to say that a woman should not do her best for a man whom she knows to be maligned?
You don't suggest that she should stand silently to one side while people are saying what's false about him ?" "I say that it's unwise in Philistia; though I admit that it is of the greatest advantage to the man, for people at once cease maligning him and take to maligning her." "If she is any sort of a woman she will not mind that, however unjust it may be.