Mrs. Futvoye.
Then my husband must have——[Turning to the Professor, who is by the table talking to Mr. Wackerbath.] Anthony! [The Professor comes down.] Have you accepted an invitation from Mr. Pringle for to-night without telling me? How could you be so forgetful?
Professor Futvoye.
My memory has not begun to fail yet, Sophia. [To Pringle.] My dear Pringle, I can only say that I received no such invitation. We had no engagement for this evening till Mrs. Wackerbath kindly rang my wife up this afternoon.
[He takes a chair on the left by Mrs. Wackerbath, and talks to her.
Mrs. Futvoye.
Your invitation must have been lost in the post, Mr. Pringle.
Pringle.
Hardly, as it happened to be given—and accepted—by word of mouth, Mrs. Futvoye. However, since you seem to have found a subsequent engagement more attractive, I have, of course, no option but to release you.
Mrs. Futvoye.