"In case you're still worried--what I told Mr. Billett was true. In the
first place, Sargent would never believe me, anyway. In the second place
it would mean breaking with Sargent--and do you know I'm rather fond of
Sargent in my own way?--and a thing like that--well, you saw how he was
tonight--it would mean more things like revolvers and I _hate_ revolvers.
And hurting Sargent--and ruining Mr. Billett who is a genuinely nice boy
and can't help being a Puritan, though I never shall forget the way
he looked in those towels. Still, I'm rather fond of him too--oh, I'm
perfectly unashamed about it, it's quite in an aunty way now and he'll
never see me again if he can help it.
"And making Sargent's daughter--who must be charming from what I hear of
her--but charming or not, she happens to be a woman and I have a feeling
that, being a woman, life will hurt her quite sufficiently without my
adding my wholly vicarious share. Oh, I'm perfectly harmless now, Oliver,"
she made a pretty gesture with her hands. "You and Sargent and the
fire-escape between you have drawn my fangs.
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