Lord William: Tim! Who was it?
Tim: It was Mrs. Martineau who spread the story.
Selina: Viper.
Tim: I should like to gag her with thistles.
Selina: Have you seen her?
Tim: I met her in the street.
Lord William: I trust you did not cut her. It is better to hear what people have to say first, then you can cut them afterwards with all the more reason.
Tim: I am afraid I told her what I thought about her.
Lord William: What did she say?
Tim: She said that of course she did not believe Ann’s story, but that it was so interesting that Ann should have cared enough for Jordan to invent it.