"But there's a girl."
"There's nothing against the girl—except of course——"
"Oh, just so," said the Governor; "but that makes it awkward. Besides, somebody told me he used to get drunk."
"I think you may disregard that," said Sir Robert. "It only means that he likes his glass of wine as most of us do."
Sir Robert retired, and presently Dick Derosne, who acted as his brother's private secretary, came in. The Governor was in an easy-chair, smoking a cigar.
"So you've settled it," said Dick.
"Yes. Perry won't hear of going on."
"Well, he hardly could after being beaten by seventeen on his biggest bill. What's going to happen?"
Now the Governor thought fit to assume that the course he had, after so much hesitation, determined upon was, to every sensible man, the only possible course. Perhaps he fancied that he would thus be in a stronger position for justifying it to a sensible woman.