"Surely worse form to hurt a gentleman's feelings, than to reverse, Marm!" retorted Jack.
"It wasn't bad form, it was bad temper. The Governor can't reverse himself. Ha-ha-ha! Neither can I go through a set of Lancers with you. So come and take me out a minute."
They went in silence down the terrace.
"Lovely evening! Not at all too hot," he said.
She burst into a sputter of laughter.
"Lor! m'dear. You are amusin'!" she said. "But you won't get out of it like that, young man. What have y' t'say f' y'self, running off with Mary like that twice!"
"You told me I could take her, Marm."
"I didn't ask you to keep her out and get her talked about, m'dear! I'm not a fool, my dear boy, and I'm not going to let her lose the chance of a life-time. You want her y'self for one night!" She slapped her fan crossly. "You leave well enough alone, we don't want another scandal in the family. Mr. Blessington is a good man for Mary, a God-send. For she's heavy, she's heavy, she's heavy for any man to take up with." Aunt Matilda said this almost spitefully. "Mr. Blessington's the very man for her, and a wonderful match. She's got her family. She's the granddaughter of Lord Haworth. And he has position. Besides they're suited for one another. It's the very finger of Heaven. Don't you dare make another scandal in the family."
She stopped under a lamp, and was leaning forward peering at him. Her large person exhaled a scent of artificial perfume. Jack hated perfume, especially in the open air. And her face, with its powder and wrinkles, in the mingled light of the lamp and the moon, made him think of a lizard.
"D'you want Mary yourself," she snapped, like a great lizard. "It's out of the question. You've got to make your way. She'd have to go on waiting for years. And you'd compromise her."