“Heard him,” replied Freddy. “Might not have thought it was a bubble, if he hadn’t said that. Dashed smoky, that’s what it is! I know Jack! If this Chevalier of his is one of Kit’s relations, willing to lay you a monkey he turns out to be a dirty dish!” He saw that he had alarmed and slightly offended Miss Charing, and added kindly: “No need to take a pet! Very likely thing to happen! Everyone has ‘em in the family. We have. Well, you ask Meg if it ain’t so!”
“Yes, very true!” corroborated his sister. “And they always arrive, without the least warning, to spend a long visit just when one is giving a ton party!”
“Under a cloud, and telling you there’s an execution in the house,” nodded Freddy.
“Oh, you are thinking of Alfred Standen, and poor Papa having to pay all his debts! But what is much worse, Freddy, is people like Cousin Maria, really delighting in being .shabby-genteel! But there is not the least reason to suppose that the Chevalier is not perfectly respectable!”
“Lay you a monkey he ain’t,” repeated Freddy obstinately.
Neither lady accepted the wager, which, in the event, was a fortunate circumstance for him. Nothing was seen in Berkeley Square of Mr. Westruther during the succeeding two days, a defection on his part which would have troubled Miss Charing much more had she not been so sunk in dissipation as scarcely to notice it. Lady Buckhaven might say that London in March was as dull as could be, but in Miss Charing’s eyes all was wonderful, from Carlton House to an itinerant vendor of hot pies. She was determined to see all the sights, and to Mr. Standen fell the task of escorting her on an extensive and exhausting tour of the town. His dismay at learning what was expected of him held him speechless for a full minute, a space of time occupied by Miss Charing in reciting a list of the historic edifices she wished to see which made his eyes start from his head with horror. He managed to utter an inarticulate protest which made her pause and look enquiringly at him. “No, dash it, Kit!” he said. “You can’t think I’m going to totter all over London looking at a lot of buildings I don’t want to see! Very happy to take you driving in the Park, but that’s coming it too strong, my dear girl!”
Her face fell. “Meg thought you would take me,” she faltered. “She says there can be no objection.”
“Oh, she does, does she?” said Freddy, justly incensed. “Well, if that’s what she thinks why don’t she take you herself? Tell me that!”
“But, Freddy, indeed, I think she should not, in her situation! Might she not find it too fatiguing?”
“I should rather think she would! Anyone would!” said Freddy. “For the lord’s sake, Kit, don’t make such a goose of yourself! You’d be knocked into horse-nails!”