“Shouldn’t think so at all,” said Freddy decidedly. “Wouldn’t suit me. Besides we don’t need two clever coves in the family. Mean to leave that sort of thing to Charlie. You going anywhere, sir?”
“Merely to White’s.”
“Come with you,” said Freddy. “Been thinking lately I’d like a word with you.”
“Surely not!” countered Lord Legerwood gently. “I do not live in the Antipodes!”
Freddy puzzled over this, and said after a moment: “Dashed if I see what that has to do with it, sir! You roasting me? I wish you won’t, for I ain’t in funning humour. Children going on well? Daresay you might not have noticed it, but I haven’t been in Mount Street this age. Never seem to have any time to do anything but look after Kit! If it ain’t seeing to it that Meg don’t persuade her into buying a shocking bonnet, it’s driving with her all over London and showing her a lot of tombs and broken-down statues you wouldn’t think anyone would want to look at, let alone pay to look at!”
Fascinated, his father said: “Is that what you have been doing?”
“I should rather think it is! Yes, and that’s put me in mind of another thing I wanted to say to you! This British Museum they talk so much about! You know what, sir? It’s a dashed take-in! Ought to do something about it. Why, if Kit hadn’t happened to have a deuced good book with her, we should have been bit, like a couple of green ‘uns!”
“My dear Freddy,” said Lord Legerwood, tucking a hand in his arm, “come into the club, and tell me about it!”
“Well, I will,” Freddy replied. “Though that ain’t what I chiefly want to say to you. Find myself in a bit of a fix—at least, shouldn’t wonder at it if I do find myself in one. Had a notion I might do worse than consult you.”
“You might—much worse!” said his lordship. “But first I must and will hear about the British Museum!”