I swear he blushed through his red sun-glaze.
"Since Captain Hylton says so----"
She held out her hand with perfect manners and said:
"I'm so glad. My congratulations." Then, before the bewildered Lackaday could reply, she tossed his hand to the winds.
"There'll be champagne for dinner and I'm coming down," she cried and fled like a doe to the house. At the threshold of the drawing-room she turned.
"Does Cousin Auriol know?"
"Nobody knows," I said.
She shouted: "Good egg!" and disappeared.
I turned to the frowning and embarrassed Lackaday.
"Your modesty doesn't appreciate the pleasure that news will give all those dear people. They've shown you in the most single-hearted way that they're your friends, haven't they?"