"Hear me rag my precious brother-in-law," said Clarence aside to Lady Muscombe. "A sack, eh?" he said aloud. "What do you bring a sack out to lunch for—scraps?"
"For shame, Clarence!" cried Edna.
"It's not a sack, as it happens," said the Count sulkily. "It's a long bag—and what I use it for is entirely my own business."
"I don't know so much about that," retorted Clarence. "With such a lot of plate in the Palace!"
"Clarence!" cried Edna again. "This is too outrageous of you!"
"Much!" put in Lady Muscombe. "As if the Count couldn't bring his clubs with him if he's going on to golf somewhere!" she said to Clarence in an undertone. "And of course he'd want a very long case for them! You really must behave more decently!"
"I mean having this out with the beggar," he replied. "Count, her ladyship suggests that you may have golf clubs in that bag of yours. Is that so?"
"And if I have," said the Count. "Why shouldn't I?"
"Because you don't play golf. No one does here—now, and I'll take my oath you can't tell a brassey from a putter. You never owned a set of clubs in your life!"
"Really, my boy!" said King Sidney nervously. "A scene like this! Before our guests! It won't do, you know. Drop it!"