“ No, Sherry!” exclaimed Ferdy, seizing his cousin’s arm, and clinging to it desperately. “Promised you wouldn’t get into a miff! Won’t do a bit of good! Got to stop the fellow’s mouth!”
“I’ll stop his mouth so that he’ll never open it again!” said Sherry savagely. “Damn you, Ferdy, let go! I’m going to tear that ugly customer limb from limb, and if there’s anything left of him by the time I’ve done with him — ”
“Not in front of ladies, dear boy! Shocking bad ton! Besides, it ain’t necessary: George wants his blood, and dash it, why shouldn’t he have it? Do him good, poor fellow! Put a bit of heart into him!”
“If there is to be any more fighting, I shall have the vapours, and so I warn you!” declared Miss Milborne. “I am sure I have had more to bear at Sir Montagu’s hands than Hero, and if I am satisfied I do not know why you should not be, Sherry! And if, sir, you should be so unwise as to open your lips on the subject of this night’s adventures, I shall have something to tell the world also! I imagine you would not care to have it generally known that you drew your sword upon an unarmed man!”
Sherry shook his cousin off. “Revesby,” he said, eyeing Sir Montagu with a measuring glance. “I’d like to have the chance to pay off a certain score with you, but I fancy Ferdy’s right, and it ain’t necessary. Wrotham is searching for you, and he’s likely to fetch up here at any minute. You’re a dead man, Revesby!”
“George is searching for me?” said Miss Milborne faintly. “Oh, good heavens!”
“Went off in one of his pets as soon as he heard you wasn’t home,” said Ferdy. “Said he’d call on Revesby to answer for his villainy. Good God, I’m dashed if that Greek thing hasn’t got after Monty too, Sherry! Very remarkable circumstance, ’pon my soul it is!”
“What the devil is all this about a dashed Greek?” demanded Sherry. “George was trying to tell me about him, but I’m hanged if I could make head or tail of it! All I know is, I’m not acquainted with any Greeks, and what’s more I don’t want to be!”
“It ain’t a thing you’re acquainted with, dear old boy. Duke knows what it is. Comes up behind a fellow when he ain’t expecting it. Thought it was after me, but it turns out to be Monty. Good thing.”
“Yes, but what is it?”