"About?" said his son. But he knew perfectly well what about.
"About Gwen and yourself. That conversation of yours with the Earl. You remember it? You told me."
"I remember it, certainly. He was perfectly right—the Earl. He's the sort of man that is right. I was horribly ashamed of myself. But Gwen set me up in my own conceit again."
His father persevered. "I understood his view to be that Gwen was under the influence of ... was influenced by ... a distorted view ... a mistaken imagination...."
"Not a doubt of it, I should think. My amour propre keeps on suggesting to me that Gwen may be of sound mind. My strong common sense replies that my amour propre may be blowed!"
"Adrian, I wish to talk to you seriously. What did you suppose I was referring to?"
"To Gwen's distorted view of your humble servant—a clear case of mistaken imagination. That, however, is a condition precedent of the position. Dan Cupid would be hard up, otherwise."
"Dan Who?"
"The little God of Love ... not Daniel Anybody! Wasn't that what the Earl meant?"
"Not at all! I was referring to his view of ... a ... his daughter's view ... of the accident ... some idea of her making up to you for.... No wonder he hesitated. It was difficult to talk to his son about it.