"My dear, I _don't_ think the way Miss Maddox talks is nice,"
whispered Mrs. De Guenther, who had taken to Joy as all old ladies
did.
"Don't worry, dear," murmured Phyllis from the other side of her.
"Other people don't, either. But nobody takes her seriously."
It was a light in Joy's mind on Gail. Nobody took her seriously. She
was just a reckless, erratic creature who said and did as she pleased,
and paid the penalty. Joy never felt so in awe of Gail again.
"It is a very modern school," said Phyllis to the company in her
sweet, carrying voice. "The teachers are quite in favor of esthetic
dancing, I know, and I am sure if you had two or three of the teachers
in it, too, to look after the girls, there would be no difficulty.
I will go and ask, if you like. We need a _Leila_ and _Fleta_."
"Oh, say, Mrs. Harrington, I thought you were going to be one of
those, at least!" protested Tiddy, to whom it seemed a shame that
Phyllis' golden loveliness should be wasted. Allan was _Lord
Tolloller_, the other suitor, but Phyllis preferred, she said, to
be generally useful. She was practically understudy to every one in
the place, having a quick memory and a good ear, and spent her time,
besides, hearing parts. Her real reason for not wanting to play was
that she was afraid the De Guenthers would be left too much to
themselves if she was tied up to rehearsals. Clarence worked every
one mercilessly.
She shook her head good-naturedly.
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