“ Inscriptions in books are like inscriptions on tombstones, ” said Alice, disparagingly. “ They don ’ t mean much. ”
“ I am glad that these men have no further excuse for going to Wiltstoken. It was certainly most unfortunate that Lydia should have made the acquaintance of one of them. ”
“ So you have said at least fifty times, ” replied Alice, deliberately. “ I believe you are jealous of that poor boxer. ”
Lucian became quite red. Alice trembled at her own audacity, but kept a bold front.
“ Really — it ’ s too absurd, ” he said, betraying his confusion by assuming a carelessness quite foreign to his normal manner. “ In what way could I possibly be jealous, Miss Goff? ”
“ That is best known to yourself. ”
Lucian now saw plainly that there was a change in Alice, and that he had lost
