“Your father and I met one afternoon at—at the Palatine,” he stammered. “I—I should have known. Tacks told me, but—but I had forgotten. I'm ashamed of my part in that, Mr. Dott. I really am. I owe you an apology. I hope you—I hope—”
Captain Dan nodded. “All right,” he said briefly. “Don't say any more about it.”
“But—but I hope you and Miss Dott won't—won't think—”
“We won't. I won't, anyway. I stopped thinking about it long ago. Well, Gertie, what have you been doin'? 'Most time to go home, is it?”
“Time to go home? Why, Daddy, we've just got here. We haven't been here an hour yet.”
“Haven't we? I want to know! Seemed a good deal longer than that to me. All right, don't you worry about me. I can stand it, I guess. Where's your mother and—and Cousin Percy?”
“Mother is in the next room with Mrs. Lake and some more of the Chapter members. Cousin Percy is—Oh, here he comes now.”
Hungerford appeared, strolling in their direction. He seemed surprised when he saw his relatives in company with Mr. Holway.
“Hello, Monty!” he said. “You here? How are you?”
The two young men shook hands. Gertrude smiled upon them both.