``Altogether?'' said Dorn, his intensely blue eyes dancing.
In spite of herself she smiled. ``No--not altogether,'' she
admitted.
``Well, it may please you to learn that you scored tremendously
as far as one person is concerned. My small nephew talks of you
all the time--the `lady in the lovely pants.' ''
Jane colored deeply and angrily. She bent upon Victor a glance
that ought to have put him in his place --well down in his place.
But he continued to look at her with unchanged, laughing,
friendly blue eyes, and went on: ``By the way, his mother asked
me to apologize for HIS extraordinary appearance. I suppose
neither of you would recognize the other in any dress but the one
each had on that day. He doesn't always dress that way. His
mother has been ill. He wore out his play-clothes. If you've
had experience of children you'll know how suddenly they demolish
clothes. She wasn't well enough to do any tailoring, so there
was nothing to do but send Leonard forth in his big brother's
unchanged cast-offs.''
Jane's anger had quite passed away before Dorn finished this
simple, ingenuous recital of poverty unashamed, this somehow fine
laying open of the inmost family secrets. ``What a splendid
person your sister must be!'' exclaimed she.
She more than liked the look that now came into his face. He
said: ``Indeed she is!--more so than anyone except us of the
family can realize. Mother's getting old and almost helpless.
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