“Laughing! I am recalling my comfortable home, my ordered life, my hitherto stainless reputation, and wondering what I can ever have done to deserve being pitchforked into this shameless imbroglio! Apparently, I am to go down to history as one who not only possessed a cousin who was a monster of precocious depravity, but who actually aided and abetted him in attempting to seduce a respectable young female.”
“No, no!” said Pen earnestly. “Nothing of the kind, I assure you! I have it all arranged in the best possible way, and your part will be everything of the most proper!”
“Oh, well, in that case—!” said Sir Richard, lowering his hand.
“Now I know you are laughing at me! I am going to be the only son of a widow.”
“The unfortunate woman has all my sympathy.”
“Yes, because I am very wild, and she can do nothing with me. That is why you are here, of course. I cannot but see that I don’t look quite old enough to be an eligible suitor. Do you think I do, sir?”
“No, I don’t. In fact, I should not be surprised if Lydia’s parent were to arrive with a birch-rod.”
“Good gracious, how dreadful! I never thought of that! Well, I shall depend upon you.”
“You may confidently depend upon me to tell Major Daubenay that his daughter’s story is a farrago of lies.”
Pen shook her head. “No, we can’t do that. I said just the same myself, but you must see how difficult it would be to persuade Major Daubenay that we are speaking the truth. Consider, sir! She told him that I had followed her here, and I must admit it looks very black, because I was in the spinney last night, and you know we cannot possibly explain the real story. No, we must make the best of it. Besides, I quite feel that we ought to help Piers, if he does indeed wish to marry such a foolish creature.”