He blushed, and begged pardon. “Talking flash!” he explained. “Forgot myself! What I mean is, good notion to come to town for a spell! I’m not saying it ain’t. Only thing is, what’s to come of it?”
Miss Charing, having foreseen this question, replied: “One should always seize opportunity, you know. I am persuaded that once I am in London I may easily discover an eligible situation. Or I might, if I had pretty gowns, and Lady Legerwood is so obliging as to introduce me to her acquaintance, even receive an offer of marriage.”
“No, dash it!” protested Mr. Standen. “Not if you’re engaged to me, Kit!”
She became intent on smoothing the wrinkles from her gloves. Her colour considerably heightened, she said: “No. Only—If there did happen to be some gentleman who—who wished to marry me, do you think he would be deterred by that, Freddy?”
“Be a curst rum touch if he wasn’t,” replied Freddy unequivocally.
“Yes, but—If he had a partiality for me, and found I had become engaged to Another,” said Kitty, drawing on a knowledge of life culled from the pages of such novels as graced Miss Fishguard’s bookshelf, “he might be wrought upon by jealousy.”
“Who?” demanded Freddy, out of his depth.
“Anyone!” said Kitty.
“But there ain’t anyone!” argued Freddy.
“No,” agreed Kitty, damped. “It was just a passing thought, and not of the least consequence! I shall seek a situation.”