female, with those paws?' Muniment inquired, exhibiting ten work-stained fingers.
'Buy a pair of gloves,' said Hyacinth, who recognised the serious character of this obstacle. But after a moment he added, 'No, you oughtn't to do that; she wants to see dirty hands.'
'That's easy enough; she needn't send for me for the purpose. But isn't she making game of you?'
'It's very possible, but I don't see what good it can do her.'
'You are not obliged to find excuses for the pampered classes. Their bloated luxury begets evil, impudent desires; they are capable of doing harm for the sake of harm. Besides, is she genuine?'
'If she isn't, what becomes of your explanation?' asked Hyacinth.
'Oh, it doesn't matter; at night all cats are gray. What ever she is, she's an idle, bedizened jade.'
'If you had seen her, you wouldn't talk of her that way.'
'God forbid I should see her, then, if she's going to corrupt me!'
'Do you suppose she'll corrupt me?' Hyacinth demanded, with an expression of face and a tone of voice which produced, on his friend's part, an explosion of mirth.
'How can she, after all, when you are already such a little mass of corruption?'
'You don't think that,' said Hyacinth, looking very grave.
'Do you mean that if I did I wouldn't say it? Haven't you noticed that I say what I think?'
'No, you don't, not half of it: you're as close as a fish.'
