“Now I come to think of it,” abruptly remarked Mr Fakenham, “it wasn’t the Lyceum. It was the Non-Pareil. I’ll think of the name of the piece in a minute.”
“I thought such things only happened in the theatre,” Hero said sorrowfully. “I did not know men could be so wicked!”
“Well, but Kitten, you don’t quite understand!” Sherry said desperately. “It sounds bad, but ten to one there’s another side to the story. These little affairs, you know — it don’t do to be talking of them, but — dash it, it’s the sort of thing that might happen to anyone!”
“Oh no!” Hero cried in a breaking voice, her eyes swimming in tears. “Not you, Sherry! Not you!”
“No, no — My God, I hope not!” said his lordship, with a sudden hair-raising vision of the scene which had taken place in King Street. He discovered that his cousin and Mr Ringwood, both much moved by Hero’s cry and look of anguish, were gazing at him reproachfully, and demanded in a voice of wrath: “What the devil are you looking like that for, the pair of you? I never seduced anyone in my life, I’ll have you know! What’s more, I’m not the sort of fellow to leave his bastards to starve in the gutter. I mean, I wouldn’t if I had any, but I haven’t — at least, if I have I never heard of them! Oh, the devil!”
His friends, greatly discomposed, at once begged pardon, Ferdy explaining that he had been momentarily carried away. The Viscount was seriously ruffled, but Mr Ringwood had the presence of mind to refill his glass, and Hero, holding one of his hands between both of hers, said: “Oh no, Sherry, I know you would not! And you will let me help this poor girl, will you not?”
“I suppose something will have to be done about her,” said his lordship. “Though I’m damned if I know what! I shall have to speak to Monty, but I can tell you I don’t like to do it, for it’s as plain as a pikestaff he don’t mean to own the child.”
“No, no, do not speak to him!” Hero said. “He has done harm enough, and he shall not come near poor Ruth again! I have thought of a scheme that will answer delightfully! She shall go to Melton, and you will let her live in the little empty cottage by the west gate, Sherry, won’t you? And she will help Mrs Goring at the hunting-box, because you know how Mrs Goring told me when we were there that she could not come by a respectable girl to assist her — oh no, perhaps you do not, but it was so indeed!”
“Hang it, Kitten, she isn’t a respectable girl!” expostulated Sherry. “And if I know Mrs Goring — ”
“No, but only consider!” begged Hero. “You may buy her a wedding ring, and we will say that her husband is dead, and no one need know the truth, and she can be comfortable! He was killed at Waterloo! No one could wonder at that!”