“How do, Robert!” said Lady Verningham, looking very surprised to see him, and giving him her fingers in such an attractive way. How are you here? And why is our Campie not? Thereby hangs some tale, I feel sure!”
“Why, yes!” said Lord Robert, and he held her hand. Then he looked at me with his eyebrows up. “But won’t you introduce me to Miss Travers? to my great chagrin she seems to have forgotten me!”
I laughed, and Lady Verningham introduced us, and he sat down beside us, and every one began tea.
Lady Verningham had such a look in her eye!
“Robert, tell me about it!” she said.
“I hear they have five thousand pheasants to slay,” Lord Robert replied, looking at her with his innocent smile.
“Robert, you are lying!” she said, and she laughed. She is so pretty when she laughs, not very young, over thirty I should think, but such a charm! As different as different can be from the whole Montgomerie family!
I hardly spoke, they continued to tease one another, and Lord Robert ate most of a plate of bread and butter that was near.
“I am dam’d hungry, Lady Ver!” he said. She smiled at him; she evidently likes him very much.
“Robert! you must not use such language here!” she said.