"Not at all, not at all, a secwet is a secwet."
"You excite our curiosity to the highest pitch," said Mrs. Langley Turner.
"Quite thrilling," said Rose.
"Tell us the story yourself, Mr. Chamberlayne," said young Lufton.
"No, no; it is Wincot's story."
"Well; if your cuwiosity is excited, I must gwatify it. Besides, Mr. St. John has pewhaps some explanation. Yesterday, as I was wambling along the woad to town I saw him wide down by the wiver. Well, would you cwedit it? he was cawying, its twue I vow, cawying a side of bacon!!!"
"Is that all?" asked Violet.
"All!" exclaimed the astonished dandy; "All! why Miss Violet, I pledge you my vewacity that I wefused to believe it, it was so twemendous an appawition! Fancy, widing acwoss countwy with a side of bacon on your saddle! It must have been a wager. It must. Why, I would as soon have dwiven my gwandmother down Wegent-stweet; dwank clawet at an inn; gone to a soiwee in shoes; or anything equally atwocious!"
"But let Mr. St. John explain," said Cecil gaily. "This is a serious imputation on his dandyism. Unless he can clear himself of the charge, he will be utterly lost."
"What was it Julius, my dear?" said Mrs. St. John.