Mr Carter took upon himself to answer.
“No, Miss Eveleen; Miss Norah is not going with Mr Hammond. Miss Norah is going with me.”
Eveleen looked up at him.
“With you?”
Before he could reply, Mr Purchase interposed:
“Again adventuring, Basil, upon forbidden ground, and, in so doing, conveying a totally wrong impression. Miss Eveleen, Miss Norah will be my guest.”
“Jack, do you wish to tempt me to lose my temper?”
“My dear Basil, let me beg you to remember.”
Mr Hammond reseated himself at my side.
“Since these two chaps do nothing but call each other names!”—they had not called each other a single name up to then; it was only that Mr Hammond has his own way of expressing himself—“supposing we fix it quietly between ourselves. As they can’t hit it off who you’re to go with, don’t you go with either of them—you go with me. That’ll suit me to a T!—down to the ground, Miss Norah! We shan’t quarrel; you can bet your hat on that, and your boots on top of it. We’ll have the best time, Miss Norah, if you’ll take my word for it, that anyone ever did have yet. I’ll do you a treat, on my honour! And if you’ll only say yes, you’ll come, you’ll make me pretty nearly as happy as if I’d won the Derby on my very own horse—you can lay your money on it all the while.”