“Why should he risk his head or his heart if he can induce other men to fight for him?”
“But it seems that he has traitors in his camp. I wonder who that waiter was?”
After a long silence Dickey dolefully asked: “Say, do you believe the Saxondales turned me down on that shooting box party?”
“I can't believe it. All is well between you and Lady Jane, of course?”
“As well as it can ever be,” said the other, looking straight ahead, his jaws set.
“Oho! Is it all off?”
“Is what all off?” belligerently.
“O, if you don't know, I won't insist on an answer. I merely suspected a thickness.”
“That we were getting thick, you mean? You were never more mistaken in your life. The chances are I'll never see her again. That's not very thick, is it?”
“I saw a letter just now for you, in my box at the hotel. Looked like a young woman's chirography, and it was from London—”