"I am in both your debt," said I lightly. "For company and wine."
"I'm sure we shall owe you both many a time yet," said the third officer civilly.
At the table near us two men had sat and were talking even as we, but one had a half-penny paper, and turned the flimsy thing about, I fancy in search of racing news.
"You see there is no doubt about you——," began Pye amiably, and suddenly dropped his sentence.
In the unexpected silence I caught some words from the other table.
"Well, it's good pluck of him if he wants to marry her. What's the odds if he is a Prince? Live and let live, I say."
Pye's little squirrel head turned round and he stared for a moment at the speaker, then it came back again.
"You are uncommonly polite," said Holgate irritably.
"I'm sorry. I thought I recognised that voice," said the little man sweetly. "One gets echoes everywhere. I was going to say we took you for granted, doctor."
"It's good of you," said I. "But will Mr. Morland?"