Lethbridge moved his hand as though to lay it on his sword-hilt. No sword hung at his side, but the Earl, watching this movement through his glass, said in the most friendly way imaginable: “Precisely, Lethbridge! How well we understand each other!”
“Nevertheless, my lord,” Lethbridge replied, “you must permit me to say that you might find that task a difficult one.”
“But somehow I feel—not entirely beyond my power,” said his lordship, and turned back to pay his respects to Lady Massey.
In the box opposite the crowd had begun to grow thinner, only Lady Amelia Pridham, Mr Dashwood, and Viscount Winwood remaining. Mr Dashwood having borne the Viscount company on his adventures of the previous night, Lady Amelia was scolding them both for their folly when Mr Drelincourt entered the box.
Mr Drelincourt wanted to speak with his cousin Rule, and was quite put out to find him absent. Nor was his annoyance assuaged by the naughty behaviour of my Lady Rule, who, feeling that she had a score to pay off, chanted softly:
“ The Muse in prancing up and down Has found out something pretty, With little hat, and hair dressed high —”
Mr Drelincourt, reddening under his paint, interrupted this popular ditty. “I came to see my cousin, ma’am!”
“He isn’t here,” said Horatia. “C-Crosby, your wig is l-like the last verse of the song. You know, it runs like this: Five pounds of hair they wear behind, the ladies to delight, O!— only it doesn’t delight us at all.”
“Vastly diverting, ma’am,” said Mr Drelincourt, a little shrilly. “I quite thought I had seen Rule beside you in this box.”
“Yes, b-but he has walked out for a while,” replied Horatia.