‘The deuce! If I had known that, he might have had her long ago.’
‘It’s quite recent,’ said Mervyn. ‘A mere chance; and he has been knocking about in the colonies these ten years—might have cut his wisdom teeth.’
‘Ten years—not half-a-dozen!’ said Mr. Fulmort.
‘Ten!’ reiterated Mervyn. ‘It was just before I went to old Raymond’s. Acton took me to dine at the mess. He was a nice fellow then, and deserved better luck.’
‘Ten years’ constancy!’ said Phœbe, who had been looking from one to the other in wonder, trying to collect intelligence. ‘Do tell me.’
‘Whew!’ whistled Mervyn. ‘Juliana hadn’t her sharp nose nor her sharp tongue when first she came out. Acton was quartered at Elverslope, and got smitten. She flirted with him all the winter; but I fancy she didn’t give you much trouble when he came to the point, eh, sir?’
‘I thought him an impudent young dog for thinking of a girl of her prospects; but if he had this to look to!—I was sorry for him, too! Ten years ago,’ mused Mr. Fulmort.
‘And she has liked no one since?’
‘Or no one has liked her, which comes to the same,’ said Mervyn. ‘The regiment went to the Cape, and there was an end of it, till we fell in with the Merivales on board the steamer; and they mentioned their neighbour, Sir Bevil Acton, come into his property, and been settled near them a year or two. Fine sport it was, to see Juliana angling for an invitation, brushing up her friendship with Minnie Merivale—amiable to the last degree! My stars! what work she must have had to play good temper all these six weeks, and how we shall have to pay for it!’
‘Or Acton will,’ said Mr. Fulmort, with a hearty chuckle of triumphant good-humour.