"Woman. You needn't finish it, Nolan; we know it as well as you do. The divine sphere of woman is in the sanctified home keeping up the sacred institution of marriage while her husband--oh, tralalalalalala."
"Yes, sir, I'll go you," cried Kitty suddenly, leaping up from the floor, and waving her hand. "Europe! You and I together."
"She has come to," said Eileen resignedly. "There's an end of sensible talk for this evening."
"Yes, Kit, what is it? I knew you would think of something good."
"We'll go to Europe, you and I. I think I can work dad to let me go. I can pretend to fall in love with the plumber, or somebody, and he'll be glad to trot me off for a while. And he likes you, Eveley. He thinks you are so sensible."
"Why, he hardly knows me," cried Eveley, astonished.
"Yes, that is why. I tell him how sensible you are when you are not there, and when he gets home I hustle you out of his sight in a hurry. He likes me to have sensible friends."
"Travel, travel, travel, and have a gay good time," said Kitty blithely. "All over Europe. We'll get some handsome clothes, and have the time of our lives as long as the money lasts, and then marry dukes or princes or something like that."
"Two of you," shouted Nolan furiously. "Well, Eve, it is a good thing you have one friend to give you really decent advice. Of all idiotic ideas. Buy fine clothes and marry a millionaire. Save it to pay for potatoes when you get a husband that can't support you. Travel to Europe and marry some purple prince."
"Do you mean clothed in purple and fine linen?"
"If you mean blood, it is blue," said Kitty. "Blue-blooded princes. Whoever heard of a purple-blooded prince?"
"What did you mean anyhow, Nolan?" asked Eileen.
Driven into a corner, Nolan hesitated. He had said purple on the spur of the moment, chiefly because it sounded derogatory and went well with prince.
"What I really mean," he began in a dispassionate legislative voice, "what I really mean is--purple in the face. You know, purple, splotchy skin, caused by eating too much rich food, drinking too much strong wine, playing cards and dancing and flirting."
"Does flirting make you purple?" gasped Miriam. "It does not show on Lem yet." And then she subsided quickly, hoping they had not noticed.