"My God, Connie, all the bloody contriving!"
"I know! It's sickening! But what can I do?"
"Contriving, conniving; conniving, contriving! Makes a man think he's lived too long."
"Come, Father, if you haven't done a good deal of contriving and conniving in your time, you may talk."
"But it was different, I assure you."
"It's always different."
Hilda arrived, also furious, when she heard of the new developments. And she also simply could not stand the thought of a public scandal about her sister and a gamekeeper. Too, too humiliating!
"Why should we not just disappear, separately, to British Columbia, and have no scandal?" said Connie.
But that was no good. The scandal would come out just the same. And if Connie was going with the man, she'd better be able to marry him. This was Hilda's opinion. Sir Malcolm wasn't sure. The affair might still blow over.
"But will you see him, Father?"