"Do you mean 'mutual' to include my
mother and me?" she asked.
"Why, yes; the Kittersbys and you and all of us Sheridans, I mean."
"No," said Mary. "We shouldn't consider Mr. Robert Lamhorn a friend
of ours."
To her surprise, Sibyl nodded eagerly, as if greatly pleased. "That's
just the way Mrs. Kittersby talked!" she cried, with a vehemence that
made Mary stare. "Yes, and I hear that's the way ALL you old families
here speak of him!"
Mary looked aside, but otherwise she was able to maintain her
composure. "I had the impression he was a friend of yours," she
said; adding, hastily, "and your husband's."
"Oh yes," said the caller, absently. "He is, certainly. A man's
reputation for a little gaiety oughtn't to make a great difference to
married people, of course. It's where young girls are in question.
THEN it may be very, very dangerous. There are a great many things
safe and proper for married people that might be awf'ly imprudent
for a young girl. Don't you agree, Miss Vertrees?"
"I don't know," returned the frank Mary. "Do you mean that you intend
to remain a friend of Mr. Lamhorn's, but disapprove of Miss Sheridan's
doing so?"
"That's it exactly!" was the naive and ardent response of Sibyl.
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