"And now, my son Timothy," he remarked briskly, "get it off your chest! Own up! Who is she? When do the banns go up—eh?"
"Get what off my chest?" enquired Tim, with a great appearance of surprise.
"This great secret. Cough it up! Who is the lady?"
One of Philip's greatest virtues in the eyes of Timothy was that he never, under any circumstances, ended that particular question with "this time." But he was genuinely surprised at Philip's penetration.
"Great Scott! It must be written all over me if you can spot it, old Bartimæus!" he said, not altogether displeased. "Yes, you are right. It has happened at last."
"What?"
"It! I'm in love."
"It comes to us all, sooner or later," remarked Philip tactfully.
"And I am going," announced Tim with great firmness, "to bring it off this very night."
Philip glanced at the clock.