What on earth is she up to?"
"It's all right," answered Madge. "She doesn't really want our opinion
of him--or rather she doesn't want our real opinion of him. She only
wants us to confirm hers. She's engaged to him."
"Flossie engaged!" Joan seemed surprised.
"Yes," answered Madge. "It used to be a custom. Young men used to ask
young women to marry them. And if they consented it was called 'being
engaged.' Still prevails, so I am told, in certain classes."
"Thanks," said Joan. "I have heard of it."
"I thought perhaps you hadn't from your tone," explained Madge.
"But if she's already engaged to him, why risk criticism of him," argued
Joan, ignoring Madge's flippancy. "It's too late."
"Oh, she's going to break it off unless we all assure her that we find
him brainy," Madge explained with a laugh. "It seems her father wasn't
brainy and her mother was. Or else it was the other way about: I'm not
quite sure. But whichever it was, it led to ructions. Myself, if he's
at all possible and seems to care for her, I intend to find him
brilliant.
Pages:
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111