“No, she hadn’t,” contradicted Freddy bluntly. “For one thing, not the sort of fellow anyone would do better to marry. For another, getting to be a trifle crack-brained—well, stands to reason he wouldn’t offer to marry this little article of virtue if he weren’t! If she marries him, sure as check she’ll be kicking up larks all over town within the twelvemonth, because it ain’t to be expected she’ll know how to do the thing neatly.”
“Well, it is no concern of yours if she does!” argued Meg.
“Dashed well is my concern!” said Freddy. “Nice thing if a friend of Kit’s was to be one of the on-dits of town, and very likely drawing Kit into her scrapes! If you think Kit wouldn’t be for ever trying to pull her out of ’em, you don’t know Kit!”
Impressed by this eminently practical point of view, Meg said doubtfully: “Yes, but—an elopement! I cannot like it!”
“I should hope you would not,” said Freddy, with a touch of austerity. “Dash it, you’re a Standen! Point is, the Broughty girl ain’t! Mind, I don’t know yet how Kit’s cousin will take it, so I haven’t said anything to the girl. If he ain’t willing, I shall be at a stand. Going to visit him. Leave Miss Broughty here.”
“Freddy, I won’t be a party to it! Only fancy how displeased Buckhaven would be, if it came to his ears! Besides, what a fix I should be in if Mrs. Broughty knew that I had helped her daughter to do anything so improper!”
“Won’t know it: told Skelton to say she wasn’t here, if anyone came asking for her,” replied Freddy. “Can’t stay longer: devil of a lot to do!”
He waited for no further expostulation, but left the dressing-room, and ran down the stairs. Pausing only to look into the Saloon, and to tell Olivia, nervously seated on the edge of a chair, that he would be back presently, he again left the house, and set off in the direction of Duke Street.
He was fortunate enough to find the Chevalier at home. The Chevalier, in fact, had risen at a late hour, had partaken of breakfast at noon, and received his unexpected guest in a magnificent dressing-gown, for which he made rueful apologies.
“You find me en deshabille! I have had last night what I think you call a pretty batch of it!”