Sir Roland was so much abashed at this that he relapsed into a blushful silence. It was left to the Viscount to expostulate. “Now, that’ll do Horry, that’ll do! Who said you were? Pom didn’t mean anything of the kind, did you, Pom?”
“N-no, but you were, b-both of you!” said Horatia.
“Never mind about that,” replied the Viscount hastily. “Nothing to do with the point. Pom may be right, though I don’t say he is. But if you did drop it in the street, there’s no more to be done. We can’t go all the way to Half-Moon Street hunting in the gutters.”
Horatia clasped his wrist. “P-Pel,” she said earnestly, “I d-did drop it in Lethbridge’s house. He tore my lace and it was p-pinned to it. It has a very stiff catch and c-couldn’t fall out just for n-no reason.”
“Well, if that’s so,” said the Viscount, “I’ll have to go and see Lethbridge myself. Ten to one it was all that talk about Pom’s great-aunt that made him suspicious.”
This plan did not commend itself to either of his hearers. Sir Roland was unable to believe that where tact had failed the Viscount’s crude methods were likely to succeed, and Horatia was terrified lest her hot-headed brother should attempt to recover the brooch at the sword’s point. A lively discussion was only interrupted by the entrance of the butler announcing luncheon.
Both the visitors partook of this meal with Horatia, the Viscount needing no persuasion, and Sir Roland very little. While the servants were in the room the subject of the brooch had necessarily to be abandoned, but no sooner were the covers withdrawn than Horatia took it up again just where it had been dropped, and said: “D-don’t you see, Pel, if you go to Lethbridge now that Sir Roland has already been, he m-must suspect the truth?”
“If you ask me,” replied the Viscount, “he knew all along. Great-aunt! Well, I’ve a better notion than that.”
“P-Pel, I do wish you wouldn’t!” said Horatia worriedly. “You know what you are! You fought Crosby, and there was a scandal. I know you’ll d-do the same with Lethbridge if you see him.”
“No, I shan’t,” answered the Viscount. “He’s a better swordsman than I am, but he ain’t a better shot.”