“A libel, Phil-ipp. I’m sure he’s not so bad as all that. Anyhow, if he is, I shall try and reform him.”
CHAPTER XXI
ADVENTURES RARE AND STRANGE
It was opposite the Magnificent that they came upon adventure the second. Two gentlemen of somewhat informal aspect, one of whom was in need of a shave, and both of whose hats were light green, greeted Mary as if they were half afraid to do so, and yet didn’t like to pass her by.
“Thought perhaps you mightn’t remember us, Mary.”
“Remember you, Horace! Could I ever forget you? And why, I declare it’s Johnny?”
And Mary shook hands with Horace and Johnny so simply and so cordially—for all that she had married a Toff—that they were obliged to confess that they were quite sure she couldn’t.
The next moment Horace and Johnny were being introduced to the Toff; with rather a display of wariness on their part, because provincial stars who have had to carve out their own destiny have not much use for the Breed, and they owed him a grudge as well for having robbed the profession of an idol. So when the Toff held out his hand and appeared pleased to meet them, it was not so certain that they were pleased to meet him.
“Horace Allwright, Philip, the very first Pickles I ever played to—and the best.”
“Oh, go hon, John Willie,” said the Star of the North, blushing to the roots of his hair, which was red and, therefore, made his pleasure the more conspicuous. But he wasn’t going to stand any swank from Eton and Ch: Ch:; and the rather fierce eye of this fine natural comedian said so pretty distinctly.
Mary was undefeated, though, and Johnny Dubosque not being so great a man as Horace Allwright, and consequently having less in the way of dignity to look after, was soon behaving as if nothing had happened.