"I'm not as selfish as your fine Dickon is! He keeps you playing in the dirt when he knows I am all by myself.
He's selfish, if you like!" Mary's eyes flashed fire.
"He's nicer than any other boy that ever lived!" she said.

"He's--he's like an angel!" It might sound rather silly to say that but she did not care.
"A nice angel!" Colin sneered ferociously.

"He's a common cottage boy off the moor!" "He's better than a common Rajah!" retorted Mary.

"He's a thousand times better!" Because she was the stronger of the two she was beginning to get the better of him.

The truth was that he had never had a fight with any one like himself in his life and, upon the whole, it was rather good for him, though neither he nor Mary knew anything about that.