Lady Waverton sat up straight. Lady Waverton embraced the pair of them with a bewildered glare.
"I married him this morning," Alison laughed.
"Alison, this is unmaidenly jesting," said my lady feebly.
"Why, if it were, so it might be. But the truth is, it's unmaidenly truth. For I am Mrs. Harry Boyce. Give me joy."
"Joy!" my lady gasped. "It's unworthy! It's cruel! Oh, Geoffrey,
Geoffrey! How dare you?" She was again understood to faint.
Through the rustle of Arabella and the odours of scent came the explosions of Sir John, swearing.
Mr. Hadley moved forward, and, ignoring Alison, addressed himself to
Harry. "Pray, sir, did you know that Mr. Waverton this morning left
Tetherdown in your father's company, your father taking him, as he says
in a letter, to the wars?"
"Knew?" Lady Waverton chose to speak out of her swoon. "To be sure they knew. They would not have dared else. Dear Geoffrey! A villain! And you, miss—you whom he trusted! Oh!" She again took scent.
"La, ma'am, he trusted me no more than I him. You are not well, I think."
"You give me news, Mr. Hadley," Harry said. "I knew that my father meant to go abroad, and understood that I was to go with him."