‘But why tell her so? You actually seemed bent on irritating her.’
‘Quite true—so I was. My dear Dick, you have some lessons to learn in life, and one of them is that, just as it is bad heraldry to put colour on colour, it is an egregious blunder to follow flattery by flattery. The woman who has been spoiled by over-admiration must be approached with something else as unlike it as may be—pique—annoy—irritate—outrage, but take care that you interest her Let her only come to feel what a very tiresome thing mere adulation is, and she will one day value your two or three civil speeches as gems of priceless worth. It is exactly because I deeply desire to gain her affections, I have begun in this way.’
‘You have come too late.’
‘How do you mean too late—she is not engaged?’
‘She is engaged—she is to be married to Walpole.’
‘To Walpole!’
‘Yes; he came over a few days ago to ask her. There is some question now—I don’t well understand it—about some family consent, or an invitation—something, I believe, that Nina insists on, to show the world how his family welcome her amongst them; and it is for this he has gone to London, but to be back in eight or nine days, the wedding to take place towards the end of the month.’
‘Is he very much in love?’
‘I should say he is.’
‘And she? Of course she could not possibly care for a fellow like Walpole?’