"There goes then," said Leicester. "Hit or miss. Hit it is. That's once. Twice, I have missed it. Three times, that's a hit. Four times, missed it. Missed it again, missed it again. That's the sixth time, and I've lost."
Then he rattled on as lively and entertaining as Bertie himself, so startling that honest friend that he did not know what to make of it.
All through the glorious afternoon the plot and counterplot were carried on.
At dinner Leicester devoted himself to Lady Ethel, talked to her with an amount of badinage and excitement that was most unusual.
After dinner Fitz went straight up to Violet, who was sitting talking to Ethel, and seated himself in a chair beside them.
Leicester dropped down beside Mrs. Mildmay and Mrs. Dodson and joined in a discussion upon croquet.
But the captain did not let him rest.
"I think there's a frigate coming across," he said. "It's rather misty, but I fancy I can distinguish the masts."
Leicester rose and walked to the window.