Now this young lady being Mr. Falkirk's special aversion, he deigned no reply to her impertinence; confronting her instead with an undeclarative face and manner of calm repression.
'What is on the carpet?' said a new comer.
'Now whatever possessed you to come on it?' said Miss Fisher with a pout. 'We were just going to scare up a German!'
'Perhaps I can be of some slight assistance.'
Kitty Fisher clapped him affectionately on the shoulder.
'Thanksmy dear fellow,' she said. 'We all know what your "slight assistance" amounts to in such cases. Too mean of you to come! And Hazel has not had one bit of fun yet this whole day.'
'What have you been doing to her?'
'It's a wicked shame,' Kitty went on. 'And Sir Henry coming and everybody. I was going to take out Mr. Falkirkit's leap year, you know; and he might be short of partners,' said Miss Fisher, prudently dropping her voice at this point.
'What is a shame, if you please?'
'For you to walk in and play marplot.'