"Very little," Henry answered.
"Let's have some tea. Well go in here!" The abrupt change disconcerted Henry for a moment or two, but he followed Gilbert into the tea-shop.
"I can see you're ready to fall in love with her," Gilbert said, as they drank their tea.
"Don't be an old ass!" Henry replied, feeling confused.
"She'll ask you to come and see her, and you'll waste a lot of time next week trying to meet her...."
Henry laughed nervously. "You're rather ridiculous, Gilbert," he said. "I've never seen Lady Cecily before. I'm just interested in her because she's so beautiful. That's natural enough, isn't it?"
"Oh, yes, it's natural enough, and Lady Cecily will like your interest in her beauty!"
The bitterness of his tone was remarkable. Henry felt, as he listened to him, that there were open wounds....
"Don't call her Cecily until you've known her two days," Gilbert went on. "She's very particular about that sort of thing. And don't fall too much in love. It'll take you longer to get over it than it took me!"
"I hate to hear you talking like that, Gilbert. Anybody'd think you were a dried-up old rip. You're frightfully cynical...."