"Gail is not different," said Joy firmly. "Anyway, Tiddy is just a baby."
John could not help laughing.
"He's not the only one who is just a baby," he said. "You little
goose, he's three or four years older than you ... and heaven knows
how much younger than I am." The thought of that, for some strange
reason, worked a change in his mind. "Never mind me, little girl. I
suppose I'm unreasonable."
"Well, yes, I think you are," said Joy honestly. Then she laughed.
It was very comfortable to have John jealous, even if it _was_
silly of him. "All right, John, hereafter I will wear a wire cage
whenever I have any scenes with Tiddy."
"Better wear it when you have scenes with Clarence," said John rather
sharply. "And let me tell you, a man that will try to steal----"
"Oh, nonsense!" said Joy calmly again. "First you say that Clarence
is toying with me, then you say he's trying to steal me. Now it
stands to reason he can't do both."
She was so practical about it that John stopped in spite of himself.
"I'm afraid I'm too much given to thinking people want to steal
you," he said a little soberly.
Joy wondered for the thousandth time about the nature of men....
Sometimes she almost thought she had made John care a good deal for
her. And then again, when he rose up and defended Gail, she quite
thought she hadn't. But as for Clarence, all that was very foolish.
From the time she had seen him every one in the village who had come
near her, it seemed to her, had carefully made it plain that
Clarence was a male flirt, a love pirate, a gay deceiver, a trifler,
a person with no intentions--anything but a man who was in love with
her.
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