"I wasn't there, and I must ask you to remember that you're talking of a lady."
"Um, pity!" said his friend ambiguously, and added, "How far have you put your foot in it?"
"Well, I haven't asked her to marry me."
"Ah. Order me another whiskey and soda, please," and Kent-Lauriston sat puffing a cigarette, and tugging at his moustache till the beverage came. Then he drank it thoughtfully, not saying a word; a silence that was full of meaning to Stanley, who flushed and began to fidget uneasily about the room.
Having finished the last drop, and disposed of his cigarette, his adviser looked up and said shortly:—
"How did this begin?"
"I met her some months ago—but only got to know her intimately at the races."
"Derby?"
"No, Ascot."
"Royal Enclosure, of course."