“I wish you’d do me the favor to rouse yourself a little,” she said sharply.

“Do it for me, there’s a dear girl.”

“I could, if I tried.” and she looked as if she would like doing it in the most summary style.

“Try, then.  I give you leave,” returned Laurie, who enjoyed having someone to tease, after his long abstinence from his favorite pastime.

“You’d be angry in five minutes.”

“I’m never angry with you.  It takes two flints to make a fire.  You are as cool and soft as snow.”

“You don’t know what I can do.  Snow produces a glow and a tingle, if applied rightly.  Your indifference is half affectation, and a good stirring up would prove it.”

“Stir away, it won’t hurt me and it may amuse you, as the big man said when his little wife beat him.  Regard me in the light of a husband or a carpet, and beat till you are tired, if that sort of exercise agrees with you.”

Being decidedly nettled herself, and longing to see him shake off the apathy that so altered him, Amy sharpened both tongue and pencil, and began.

“Flo and I have got a new name for you.  It’s Lazy Laurence.  How do you like it?”

She thought it would annoy him, but he only folded his arms under his head, with an imperturbable, “That’s not bad.  Thank you, ladies.”

“Do you want to know what I honestly think of you?”

“Pining to be told.”

“Well, I despise you.”

If she had even said ‘I hate you’ in a petulant or coquettish tone, he would have laughed and rather liked it, but the grave, almost sad, accent in her voice made him open his eyes, and ask quickly . . .

“Why, if you please?”

“Because, with every chance for being good, useful, and happy, you are faulty, lazy, and miserable.”

“Strong language, mademoiselle.”

“If you like it, I’ll go on.”

“Pray do, it’s quite interesting.”

“I thought you’d find it so.  Selfish people always like to talk about themselves.”

“Am I selfish?” the question slipped out involuntarily and in a tone of surprise, for the one virtue on which he prided himself was generosity.

“Yes, very selfish,” continued Amy, in a calm, cool voice, twice as effective just then as an angry one.  “I’ll show you how, for I’ve studied you while we were frolicking, and I’m not at all satisfied with you.  Here you have been abroad nearly six months, and done nothing but waste time and money and disappoint your friends.”

“Isn’t a fellow to have any pleasure after a four-year grind?”