Winnie gave him a defiant look.
“No, but I mean to. You all think I’m still a child. You none of you understand that I’m a woman.”
“I notice your sex generally claims to be misunderstood when it has a mind to do something particularly foolish.”
“I wish you had heard him speak. I could hardly control myself.”
“Because he dropped his aitches?”
“Of course not. Can’t you see he’s a gentleman?”
“I’m so short-sighted,” replied Lord Spratte, dryly. “And I haven’t my opera-glasses with me.”
Winnie rose impatiently and walked over to her father.
Lord Spratte watched her with some curiosity, and he caught Railing’s glance as she came up. His lips formed themselves into a whistle. He chuckled as he thought of Theodore’s consternation if what he suspected proved true.
“I’m so sorry that a perfectly unavoidable engagement prevented me from coming to hear you speak,” the Canon said, in his politest way.