Everyone expressed that sort of interest with which the news of an unexpected engagement is received.
"Hugo Merton!" exclaimed Lord Arthur, who was handing round the soup. "Why, I thought he was always hanging round little Rosie Fletcher's gate."
"She wouldn't give him the invitation he wanted," said Mr. Blother, "and I suppose he got tired of waiting for it. A glass of sherry, Edward?"
"No thank you," said Edward. "Didn't Lady Grace ask John Hardy into her garden last summer?"
"Yes," said Mrs. Eppstein; "it was he who told Herman." She turned to her husband. "The large spoon, pet," she whispered, and then asked aloud: "Didn't he say that her garden was very badly kept, dear?"
Mr. Eppstein blushed awkwardly. "He said it wasn't so tyesty as some he'd been in," he said.
This reply caused some slight embarrassment, which Mr. Perry sought to dissipate by saying: "John Hardy has certainly received invitations from a good many ladies. No doubt he has a way with him."
"It is quite time he asked for a key," said Mrs. Perry somewhat severely. "It is not fair on nice girls that he should go from one garden to another as he does. And it is very ill-bred to talk about them to others."
"I didn't arst 'im abaht it," said Mr. Eppstein.