“Oh — Martin!” The Viscount said, his grin vanishing. “If I thought I had cut you out, I should be sorry for it!”
“No, you have cut Martin out.”
“I care nothing for that. It ain’t true, either.”
“I fancy he has been the most fav — prominent — of her suitors,” Gervase said, correcting himself hastily.
“Very likely. They are, as you have said, old playfellows, if he chose to think she cared for him, he must be a bigger coxcomb than I knew!”
Gervase let this pass. He picked up his snuff-box, and opened it, and took a meditative pinch. “Will you go halfway to meet Martin, Lucy?”
“To save you annoyance, yes!”
Gervase smiled at him. “Really, you know, Lucy, we cannot have such a scandal! These little affairs always leak out. By the by, was I to act for you?”
“Exactly what I asked the young fool! He told me Warboys would be happy to act for me! Man I’ve only met three times in my life!”
Gervase burst out laughing. “Warboys! I wish he may come to offer his services to you!”