He nodded to me without speaking, crossed over to the fire (it was bitterly cold outside), and stood with his back to it. Then he pulled off his gloves slowly and invited me to come and shake hands.
"You lazy beggar!" I said; "you come here! Can't you see I'm working?"
"Working! you're always working. What's come over you?"
"You forget——"
"Oh, it's Lucy, is it?" he asked. "Well, well! she's a dear child, Phil, I admit."
"Lord St. Alleyne," I said, "you never spoke a truer word."
"Why will you always be throwing that confounded title in my face? I'm only an Irish peer; that title has been a great drawback to me."
"How?" I asked.
"It makes people take twice as long as they should to find out I'm a decent chap."
"It didn't take me long," I said.