"Quite between ourselves, I'll be doing nothing of the sort," I said, with mock confidentialness.
"Nevertheless, I think I'll tell the Duke he has only to wait," said she.
"And I'll confide to Courtney he has only to ask to be taken," I returned.
She laughed. "You might do it right now—here he is."
I turned just as Courtney dismounted.
"May I intrude, Your Royal Highness?" he asked.
"Come along," said I; "Lady Helen wants to hear some gossip and I don't know any."
A bit of a smile came into his eyes. "And that, though you are, yourself, the most gossiped about individual in Dornlitz," he answered.
"Another penalty of my new estate," said I; "the butt of all and the confidant of none."
Courtney tapped my Baton. "Have you noticed, Lady Helen, what a steady run of hard luck our friend, here, has had ever since he came to Valeria?" he asked.