“No, George, you shall not! I won’t have Sherry killed!” Hero said quickly.
“That’s right!” Ferdy approved. “Only set up the backs of people if you kill Sherry, George! Always get over heavy ground as light as one can! Besides, my cousin, you know! Fond of him!”
“Yes, that’s all very well, but if he challenges me to fight I’m dashed if I’ll refuse him satisfaction!”
“For my sake, George!” begged Hero, clasping his arm.
“Oh, very well!” he said. “Mind you, Kitten, I’d not do it for anyone else, and I shall find it mighty hard as it is! Did you come here to warn Lady Sherry, Ferdy?”
“Thought I should do so,” Ferdy explained. “Gil away: couldn’t prevail on Sherry not to go to Bath: didn’t know you was here. You come to warn her too?”
“You are so kind to me, both of you!” Hero said warmly. “I am sure no one ever had such good friends! Indeed, I thank you, and I do trust, Ferdy, that Sherry is not very angry with you?”
“Too much on the fidgets to think whether I had anything to do with your being here,” replied Ferdy. “Went into the house in the devil of a miff — Lady Sheringham lodging in the Royal Crescent, you know — don’t know why: dare say he wanted to tell the Incomparable. Seemed to me the moment to go away. It ain’t that I’m afraid of Sherry, but I don’t know what I’m to say to him, and once he guesses I knew you was here, Kitten, he’s bound to try to get the whole story out of me.”
“We are to tell him the truth,” George said.
Ferdy’s eyes started at him. “Dash it, George, he’ll tear us limb from limb! What I mean is, hiding his wife from him, bamming him we hadn’t a notion where she was! Making a cake of him! Won’t stand it: not my cousin Sherry! Couldn’t expect it of him!”