“Why did you give me away like that?” he asked. “If you hadn’t told them I was here, they would never have thought of asking for me.”
“I gave you away to save myself,” said Lord Manton. “I always give other people away when there’s any kind of unpleasantness going on. That has been a fixed rule of mine through life, and I’ve always found it work well.”
“Beg pardon, my lord,” said Wilkins, who returned, “but the ladies say it’s your lordship they want to see; but they’ll be very glad to meet Mr. Goddard too.”
“Did you ask their business, Wilkins?”
“I did, my lord. They said they heard that you were a magistrate, and——”
“That,” said Lord Manton, “sounds about as bad as anything could be. How many ladies were there, Wilkins?”
“Three, my lord.”
“The whole three,” said Mr. Goddard. “I told you so.”
“Where have you put them, Wilkins?”
“I showed them into the big drawing-room, my lord. The other lady was in——”