“Asks me to send the dog-cart to meet the mid-day train. Humph! rain’s over and sun coming out. Here, Claud, take your cousin round the greenhouse and the conservatory. She hasn’t seen the plants.”
“All right, father. Don’t mind me smoking, do you, Kitty?”
“Of course she’ll say no,” said Wilton testily; “but you can surely do without your pipe for an hour or two.”
“Oh, very well,” said Claud, ungraciously; and he offered his cousin his arm.
She looked surprised at the unnecessary attention, but took it; and they went out through the French window into the broad verandah, the glass door swinging to after them.
“What a sweet pair they’ll make, James, dear,” said Mrs Wilton, smiling fondly after her son. “How nicely she takes to our dear boy!”
“Yes, like the rest of the idiots. Girl always says snap to the first coat and trousers that come near her.”
“Oh, James, dear! you shouldn’t say that I’m sure I didn’t!”
“You! Well, upon my soul! How you can stand there and utter such a fib! But never mind; it’s going to be easy enough, and we’ll get it over as soon as we decently can, if you don’t make some stupid blunder and spoil it.”
“James, dear!”