Captain Clavering was heartily sorry that he had mentioned the fact of his sister-in-law being left at home at Clavering Park. It was most unfortunate. How could he make it understood that if he were married he would not think of shutting his wife up at Ongar Park? "Lady Clavering, you know, does come to London generally," he said.
"Bah!" exclaimed the little Franco-Pole.
"And as for me, I never should be happy, if I were married, unless I had my wife with me everywhere," said Captain Clavering.
"Bah-ah-ah!" ejaculated the lady.
Captain Clavering could not endure this any longer. He felt that the manner of the lady was, to say the least of it, unpleasant, and he perceived that he was doing no good to his own cause. So he rose from his chair and muttered some words with the intention of showing his purpose of departure.
"Good-by, Captain Clavering," said Lady Ongar. "My love to my sister when you see her."
Archie shook hands with her and then made his bow to Madame Gordeloup.
"Au revoir, my friend," she said, "and you remember all I say. It is not good for de wife to be all alone in the country, while de husband walk about in the town and make an eye to every lady he see." Archie would not trust himself to renew the argument, but bowing again, made his way off.
"He was come for one admirer," said Sophie, as soon as the door was closed.
"An admirer of whom?"