“Nay, don’t affect surprise: we heard the story at Florence, and a very funny story it was: that Lucy insisted upon it, if you didn’t propose for her, that she would for you, since she was determined to be mistress of a certain black Arabian that you had; and that you, fearing consequences, sent her the horse, and so compromised the affair.”
“How very absurd!”
“But is it not true? Can you deny having made a present of the steed?”
“She did me the honour to accept of a pony, but the attenuating circumstances are all purely imaginary.”
“Si non vero e ben trovato.—It was exactly what she would do!”
“An unfair inference, which I feel bound to enter a protest against. If we were only to charge our acquaintances with what we deem them capable of——”
“Well, finish, I pray you.”
“I was only about to add, what would become of ourselves?”
“Meaning you and me, for instance?”
I bowed an assent.