"Nonsense, pa, it can't be!" said Loammi. "It's ridiculous to think of Scott being in company with an earl."
"Ridiculous or not, it is a fact."
"Perhaps they are not together," said Loammi, who did not like to believe that his humble cousin was in such aristocratic company. "Is that the boy that usually goes around with the earl?" he asked, turning to the waiter.
"Yes, sir, it's the very identical boy," answered the waiter.
"I never heard of such a thing," gasped Loammi. "That boy's cheek seems too great for anything. But perhaps he is the earl's valet, though I don't know how he could have got the position."
"I don't know but he's the earl's brother," said the waiter. "Anyhow, they're pretty thick. They went out riding together yesterday afternoon."
"He isn't the earl's brother," said Loammi, emphatically. "He's a—a relative of ours."
"Lor' now, you don't mean it! Didn't you know he was traveling with the earl?"
"No," answered Loammi; "I haven't seen much of him lately."
"The earl seems to think everything of him. They're always together."