"Well;—as the club is being broken up, I don't know that it is very much the business of any of us."
"I was speaking to my friends, Lord Nidderdale and Mr. Longestaffe, and not to you."
"I quite appreciate the advantage of the distinction," said Lord Grasslough, "and am sorry for Lord Nidderdale and Mr. Longestaffe."
"What do you mean by that?" said Sir Felix, rising from his chair. His present opponent was not horrible to him as had been John Crumb, as men in clubs do not now often knock each others' heads or draw swords one upon another.
"Don't let's have a quarrel here," said Mr. Lupton. "I shall leave the room if you do."
"If we must break up, let us break up in peace and quietness," said Nidderdale.
"Of course, if there is to be a fight, I'm good to go out with anybody," said Dolly. "When there's any beastly thing to be done, I've always got to do it. But don't you think that kind of thing is a little slow?"
"Who began it?" said Sir Felix, sitting down again. Whereupon Lord Grasslough, who had finished his dinner, walked out of the room. "That fellow is always wanting to quarrel."
"There's one comfort, you know," said Dolly. "It wants two men to make a quarrel."
"Yes; it does," said Sir Felix, taking this as a friendly observation; "and I'm not going to be fool enough to be one of them."