“You’d know fast enough had you been at Arnside,” replied Biddenden. “The girl was in such a pet she was ready to throw a fortune to the wind, and took Freddy merely to spite the rest of us.”
“No: only to spite me!” said Mr. Westruther, laughing.
“Much you know! If Dolphinton had gone about the business like a man of sense, instead of as good as telling her he hoped she’d refuse his offer, she’d have accepted him! Good God, Jack, you never heard anything to equal it! The fellow’s as mad as Bedlam, and ought to be shut up!”
“Undoubtedly. May I know whence you culled this farradiddle? If you came to town only two days ago you have certainly been busy!”
“Oh, I had it from my Aunt Augusta!” Biddenden replied. “She is in high croak, I can tell you! And well she may be! When I think of Dolphinton’s inheriting Uncle Matthew’s fortune—Upon my soul, Jack, I had a great deal rather it was you!”
“Handsome of you!” Mr. Westruther, grinning at him.
“Ay, well, it won’t be you!” said Biddenden crossly. “You can lay your life to that! Kitty has shown her hand plainly enough. Either she meant to have Dolphinton all along, and took Freddy merely because she could scarcely accept such an offer as that idiot made her—with Hugh and me standing by, too!—or she fancied a Viscount to be as good as an Earl, until she came to town, and learned her mistake!”
“What a foolish fellow you are, George!” said Mr. Westruther gently. “Whatever else Kitty may have learnt in town, she has not learnt to think that beggarly Earldom superior to the title Freddy will inherit.”
“Very true! An Irish title, too! I would not give a groat for it myself. But an Earl is always an Earl, you know, and ten to one my aunt has stuffed the girl’s head full of nonsense about the great position she would occupy if she were to marry that dolt.” He pursed up his mouth, and sat twirling his quizzing-glass on the end of its riband. “I fancy Kitty is not the innocent we took her for,” he said, after a pause. “It occurs to me that she may very likely have come to the realization that marriage with Dolphinton would carry with it certain compensations. A complaisant husband, my dear jack, is not altogether to be despised!”
Mr. Westruther got up out of his chair. “No? But you are, George! Believe me, you are!”