"Well," he said, "so long as Mrs. Levitt doesn't expect my wife to follow suit."
"Mrs. Levitt's experience can't have led her to expect much in the way of kindness here."
"Well, don't be too kind. You don't know how you may be landed. You don't know," said Sir John fatally, "what ideas you may have put into the poor woman's head."
"I should be very sorry," said Mr. Waddington, "if I thought for one moment I had roused any warmer feelings—"
But he wasn't sorry. He tried hard to make his face express a chivalrous regret, and it wouldn't. It was positively smiling, so agreeable was the idea conveyed by Sir John. He turned it over and over, drawing out its delicious flavour, while Sir John's little laughing eyes observed his enjoyment.
"You don't know," he said, "what you may have roused."
There was something very irritating in his fat chuckle.
"You needn't disturb yourself. These things will happen. A woman may be carried away by her feelings, but if a man has any tact and any delicacy he can always show her very well—without breaking off all relations. That would be clumsy."
"Of course, if you want to keep up with her, keep up with her. Only take care you don't get landed, that's all."
"You may be quite sure that for the lady's own sake I shall take care."