“Hello!” he said, “you had better hurry and change, or you will be late. We have to start in half an hour to meet Grady.”
Mr. Carteret coughed. “I don’t think that I can go out to-day. It is a great disappointment.”
“Not going hunting?” exclaimed Mrs. Ascott-Smith. “What is the matter?”
“I have a bad cold,” said Mr. Carteret miserably.
“But, my dear fellow,” exclaimed Lord Frederic, “it will do your cold a world of good!”
“Not a cold like mine,” said Mr. Carteret.
“But this is the day, don’t you know?” said Lord Frederic. “How am I going to manage things without you?”
“All that you have to do is to meet them at the station and take them to the meet,” said Mr. Carteret. “Everything else has been arranged.”
“But I’m awfully disappointed,” said Lord Frederic. “I had counted on you to help, don’t you see, and introduce them to Ploversdale. It would be more graceful for an American to do it than for me. You understand?”
“Yes,” said Mr. Carteret, “I understand. It’s a great disappointment, but I must bear it philosophically.”