"A wolf, but a young one," Éponine told him, and actually the more she thought about it the more discouraging that was, which was why she was here seeking a distraction. "Mistaken easily enough for a dog, I suppose."

. . . that was possibly a bit less discouraging. Maybe.

"Which explains quite a bit about why it seems like it's been a while since I've seen you!" she went on, with a laugh. "Unless I did, while we were both in that state, and I simply didn't recognize you."