“Let me present you to my brother-in-law—Mr. Force, of Mondreer, Maryland. Mr. Force—Gen. Anglesea, late of the East Indian service—the real Simon Pure, you understand, Abel!”
The two gentlemen, thus introduced, bowed deeply.
“You say you have come over to see my sister?” inquired the earl.
“Yes! On very important business! You may judge how important when I tell you that it has brought me across the ocean at such a time as this.”
“My sister is at this time indisposed. I think it will be a day or two before she is capable of attending to any business. But here is her husband.”
“Of course. I am very happy to meet Mr. Force, and shall be ready, at his convenience, to enter upon this business. It concerns Lady Elfrida’s first marriage.”
Now, if Mr. Force had not already learned the truth concerning that first marriage, I know not what might have been the consequences of this sudden announcement. As it was, Lady Elfrida’s second husband, with great presence of mind, replied:
“Precisely. I shall be ready to attend to you as soon as you please.”
As for Lord Enderby—who had never heard a word about his sister’s first marriage—he was considerably startled, but, with equal presence of mind, recovered himself, and said:
“If it is necessary that this matter should be entered upon this evening, we had better withdraw into apartments. We can scarcely discuss important business in the street.”