“That’s just what it ain’t in the least likely to be!” muttered his lordship.
She came to the fire. “What did you say, Sherry?”
“Nothing. Sit down! Oh, the devil take that bird!” He strode over to the canary, and covered its cage, and turned back to Hero. “Now, brat, out with it! How badly were you dipped at Charlotte Gillingham’s house while I was away?”
The colour fled from her cheeks, and the look of trustful expectancy from her eyes. “Oh, Sherry, who told you?” she said, in a frightened voice.
“Never mind that! How much, Kitten?”
She shuddered. “Oh, don’t ask me! It was so shocking!”
“Not ask you!” he exclaimed. “How the deuce am I to settle your debts if I don’t know what they are? Don’t be nonsensical!”
“Oh, Sherry, Sherry, I am so very sorry! Indeed, I never meant to be such a bad wife! And you are not going to settle for me at all, because I am going to pay it myself, and I shall do so, Sherry, because you give me such a big allowance for my pin-money, and I won’t purchase any more new gowns, or anything! I promise!”
“That’s fudge, brat. Besides, you must pay your gaming debts at once, you know. Can’t expect people to wait for what you owe ’em. Shocking bad ton, my girl!”
“Yes, yes, I know that, and indeed I have redeemed all my vowels, though at first I did not know how in the world I could do so, and I felt as though I would rather die than — ”