"
"Hold your tongue about that silly thing. Boys in college think they
know everything, can do everything, have everything, and only need
beckon, and all womankind will come and adore. It made a man of him,
and he'll thank me for taking the sentimental nonsense and conceit
out of him. You will need just such a lesson at the rate you go on,
and I hope Fan will give it to you."
"When the lecture is over, I'll go on with the joke, if you want to
know it."
"Isn't this enough?"
"Oh, bless you, no! the cream of it is to come. What would you give
to know who the lady was?"
"Five dollars, down, this minute."
"Very good, hand 'em over, and I'll tell you."
"Truly, Dick?"
"Yes, and prove it."
Dolly produced her purse, and, bill in hand, sat waiting for the
disclosure. Dick rose with a melo-dramatic bow,--
"Lo, it was I."
"That's a great fib, for I saw you flying about the whole evening."
"You saw my dress, but I was not in it."
"Oh! oh! who _did_ I keep going to, then? and what _did_ I do to
make a fool of myself, I wonder?"
Purse and bill dropped out of Dolly's hand, and she looked at her
brother with a distracted expression of countenance. Dick rubbed his
hands and chuckled.
"Here's a jolly state of things. Now I'll tell you the whole story.
I never thought of doing it till I saw Bopp and told him who you
were; but on my way for Fan I wondered if he'd get puzzled between
you two; and then a grand idea popped into my head to puzzle him
myself, for I can take you off to the life.
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