“Deadly rivals!” said Selden. “More than ever at this moment. I welcome the prospect of ridding myself of him forever! I must say you haven’t lost any time,” he added to Scott. “Who introduced you?”
“I used your name,” explained Scott, with a broad grin. “It worked like a charm.”
“My name?”
“It is true,” said Madame Ghita, her eyes sparkling, for she was beginning to understand. “In the rooms out yonder, ten minutes since, monsieur introduced himself to me as a friend of yours.”
“The infernal impostor!”
“But it is his fault,” Scott protested, waving his hands. “Figure to yourself, madame, this afternoon he spoke of you in terms so glowing, so complimentary, that I would have been less than a man if my interest had remained unawakened. I made up my mind to meet you. He even approved.”
“I consented,” Selden corrected; “I saw I might as well. Now that you have met her, you’d better beat it.”
“Beat it?” repeated madame. “What does that mean?”
“I am inviting him to make his adieux,” Selden explained.
“I place myself in the hands of madame,” said Scott with a bow. “It shall be for her to choose between us.”