“She thinks she is not good enough for him,” said Juliana.
Mr. Hammond picked up his hat. “Since I apprehend that the unfortunate female I came here to serve has departed, I shall beg to take my leave. To perform this marriage service would have been vastly repugnant to me, and I can only be thankful that the need for it no longer exists.”
The Duchess’s large eyes surveyed him critically. “If you are going, m’sieur, it is a very good thing, for I find you infinitely de trop, and in a little while I shall be out of all patience with you.”
Mr. Hammond’s jaw dropped perceptibly at this unexpected severity, and he became extremely red about the gills. Lord Rupert pressed his hat and cane upon him with great promptitude, and lounged over to open the door. “Outside, Sir Parson!” he said cheerfully.
“I shall relieve your grace of my unwelcome presence at once,” announced Mr. Hammond awfully, and bowed.
“Never mind your civilities,” recommended his lordship. “They come a trifle late. But one word in your ear, my buck! If you bandy my nephew’s name about in connection with this affair, my friend Lord Manton will look for another bear-leader for his cub. Do you take me?”
“Your threats, sir, leave me unmoved,” replied Mr. Hammond. “But I can assure your lordship that my one desire is to forget the prodigiously disagreeable events of this day.” He grasped his cane tighter in his hand, tucked his hat under his arm, and went out, very erect and stiff.
Lord Rupert kicked the door to. “Let’s hope that’s the last we’ll see of that fellow,” he said. “Now what’s all this about Vidal’s wench? Gone off, has she? Well, that’s one problem off our hands.”
“That is just what I thought,” sighed the Duchess. “But Dominique is in love with her, and I fear very much he will try to find her, and if he does he says he will marry her, which is a thing I find very worrying.”
“Marry her? What does the boy want to marry her for?” asked his lordship, puzzled. “It don’t seem sense to me. First the girl’s off with him, then she has a fancy for young Comyn — oh, are you there, my boy? Well, it makes no odds — and now I’ll be pinked if she hasn’t gone off again, though whom she’s gone with this time is beyond me.”