“If yon’s a college man and a gentleman,” said Janet, “I’ll just allow that I never was mair deceivit in my life.”
Eddy took his friend’s arm as they issued out from the shadow of the cottage. “Why didn’t you show fight?” he said, “you fool! You can act well enough when you like. Why didn’t you be civil and draw him out? He’d have done all the talk himself, and you’d have saved your character as a college fellow and a don.”
“There’s been enough of this nonsense,” said Johnson. “I tried it on with the lady the other day, and I put my foot into it. She didn’t believe I was a don, as you call it, any more—than any other person would. What was I to say to that old fool? I didn’t know what he was talking about. Look here, we must have some talk serious, none of your humbug. I have my orders as clear as daylight. If he can’t pay up—”
“I know,” said Eddy, impatiently, “I know! I’ve heard all that before.”
“You’ll not hear it again, my fine fellow, or else it’ll be before the judge for something that is more ticklish than debt. Don’t you know there’s that little bit of paper as was refused at the bank. No assets, just your luck to keep you from the Old Bailey. But he’s got it all the time. If you’re safe to marry the railway man’s daughter, perhaps I might get him persuaded to wait. For I’m your friend, Eddy Saumarez, you know as I always stand your friend when you don’t play any of your tricks. I can’t go bail for him that he’ll do that; for what with putting him off, and never answering his letters, and letting things swing, he’s in the temper of the very——; but if it’s certain and settled, and the figure of her fortune known, and all that—”
“You saw for yourself how things were going,” said Eddy, not without a faint blush of shame, “the other day on the hill.”
“Oh, I saw you, fast enough—carrying on. But when I said to the lady, ‘That’s a case if ever there was one,’ she looked at me as if she could have knocked me down. ‘If you mean it’s an engagement,’ she says, as sharp as anything, ‘you’re mistaken, and it wouldn’t be allowed for a minute on either side.’”
“You put that into her head, you everlasting fool!” cried Eddy. And then with an effort of self-control, or rather with the natural facility of his easy temper, he added, bursting into a laugh, “She’s the stepmother, and they hate her all round. The more she opposes it the more it’s sure to be, so you see there’s more things in heaven and earth, Johnson, than are in your philosophy. What she says is just the thing that will never come to pass. I say, if you’ll behave a little decent, and get up the character, I’ll make her send you an invitation to the big ball!”
“The ball!”
“I know you’re fond of high life, and seeing smart people: and you can act when you like. Now look here, put a good face upon it and let’s have a little more time. Write to him that you’ve got a promise of having everything settled if you wait till after the 30th, and that you’re going to a ball at Rowland’s house under my wing; and then you’ll wire about the engagement and all that as soon as ever it comes off. You’ll never have such a chance again,” said Eddy; “crême de la crême, my boy, and all that sort of thing.”