“Oh, that rot,” said his lordship. “Girls are always fallin’ in love with fellows—makes me sick. Hi, Patsy!”
Patsy was passing below carrying a tray with glasses on it; he did not hear the hail as Lord Gawdor dared not raise his voice. He passed on and vanished.
“Patsy heard all they were saying,” said Doris. “I saw him standing and listening at the passage door leading to the kitchen.”
“So did I. I tried to catch his eye, but he wasn’t looking this way.”
“I think the old General is a beast,” said Doris.
“He looks a hot ’un,” said Bob, who was whistling softly and making little slides down the banister rails.
“You know, at afternoon tea to-day,” said Doris, “when you upset that plate of cakes, and then joggled Miss Lestrange’s tea-cup half into her lap, I heard him saying to the Member of Parliament man, he said, ‘I don’t care whether they are the children of a prince or the children of a Kitmutgar’ (whatever that is), ‘children all the world over are just the same, and they are a damned nuisance.’”
“Hurroo! who’s swore now?” cried Lord Gawdor.
“I didn’t; I only repeated what he said, and Mr Boxall said he agreed with him——”
“I say!” cried Lord Gawdor, a happy recollection crossing his mind, “did you hear what Selina was saying all the time before gran’ma rang the bell for Biddy to take her out?”