"Warrender!" shrieked her ladyship. "Pray, Mr Newland," continued her ladyship, recovering herself, "who gave you that piece of information?"
"My dear Lady Maelstrom, pray do not be displeased with me, but I am very particularly interested in this affair. Your love for Mr Warrender, long before your marriage, is well known to me; and it is to that love, to which I referred, when I asked you if it was not most delightful."
"Well, Mr Newland," replied her ladyship, "how you have obtained the knowledge I know not, but there was, I acknowledge, a trifling flirtation with Edward Warrender and me—but I was young, very young at that time."
"I grant it, and do not, for a moment, imagine that I intend to blame your ladyship; but, as I before said, madam, I am much interested in the business."
"What interest you can have with a little flirtation of mine, which took place before you were born, I cannot imagine, Mr Newland."
"It is because it took place before I was born, that I feel so much interest."
"I cannnot understand you, Mr Newland, and I think we had better change the subject."
"Excuse me, madam, but I must request to continue it a little longer. Is Mr Warrender dead, or not? Did he die in the West Indies?"
"You appear to be very curious on this subject, Mr Newland; I hardly can tell. Yes, now I recollect, he did die of the yellow fever, I think—but I have quite forgotten all about it—and I shall answer no more questions; if you were not a favourite of mine, Mr Newland, I should say that you were very impertinent."
"Then, your ladyship, I will put but one more question, and that one I must put, with your permission."