“All I ask is,” he said, “that you will see him as little and as seldom as you can, without making too much fuss about it, or letting him know what I thought.”
“And I promise to do that,” she said. “I long never to see him again. It’s only on account of Madeline I wanted to have one more little talk with him—about her and Rupert. After that I’ll manage without him, I assure you. I swear not to give him anything more to do for me. But what I can’t understand, dear, is what put the idea into your head.”
“Never mind. You were seeing him too often. And, remember, I know that he was in love with you once and wanted to marry you.”
“But, dear boy, that was ten years ago, and he married somebody else.”
“Which he may regret by now. Well, I trust all to your tact, Bertha.”
“He’s coming to-day,” Bertha said. “And then I’m going to make him understand I no longer want his help.”
“Right.”
Percy went out, looking very happy. He did not forget to kiss her now, and he himself had sent the large basket of flowers that Nigel nearly fell over when he came in the afternoon.
“A new admirer?” asked Nigel.
“No, an old one. So you say that you met Rupert buying a hat for Miss Chivvey, and saw them the next day walking together, and she was wearing it.”