“You’ve got to do it now,” said the Optimist. “Since the affair has become another Little Clumpton v. Hickory, you must do something for your side, you know, particularly as you were the only single figure man yesterday.”
“Must try and get into the doubles, old chap,” said the little parson coaxingly.
“Deuced pleasant outlook,” said I. “Shouldn’t care if I’d played for the county once; but a mere club-man—ugh!”
“She may be rather rude,” said Toddles. “Cool cheek makes some girls stick their fur up. Or she mayn’t, of course. Might let you down ever so gently, as she’s had a lot of experience.”
“A word in your ear,” said the Optimist. “Whatever you do, don’t play the goose game. Hard slogging’s the sort o’ thing for Grace. That’s where that owl, Boughey, always comes such a cropper. Will spread himself so.”
“Boughey will lisp in numbers, you know,” said Carteret. “Overflows with it, the idiot! and makes old Grace so riled that she chucks the beautiful calf-bound poetry books he brings her regularly at his head. I’ve seen Boughey come out bleeding in other places than his heart. Whatever you do, my gallant, give a wide berth to the Bodlihead.”
“Your views are a great privilege, I’m sure,” said I.
Truth to tell, the more I saw of their game, the less I liked it. My sentiments, to which the wretched Comfort had given such an unpleasant publicity, were doubtless receiving this amount of attention that the conspirators might score all round. They were certainly scoring off me, and the idea came into my head that they were scoring off Miss Grace’s brothers also. For that quartette smoked with a steady enjoyment that was designed to show their complete indifference to the topic under discussion. Judging by the excessive disinterestedness of their mien, they were not even aware of its delicate character.
“Devilish well-bred of you fellows to be so full of dolce far niente,” said the unblushing barrister. “Quite the right thing, of course; but we do wish you’d be rather more keenly alive to your responsibilities. Your knowledge of Grace’s pretty little ways under fire might be simply invaluable to Dimsdale. Simply invaluable. And you know you would never forgive yourselves if our ingenuous Dimsdale got badly mauled through lacking that expert advice that you are so well qualified to give him.”
“What’s the speech about, Jimmy?” asked Archie. “Is it on Ritualism, or are you practising the art of addressing the jury?”