You are to imagine with what a burning face I sat listening to this devil’s brew of small talk. What their eyes said to each other of innuendo, what their lifted brows implied, and what they whispered behind white elegant hands, was more maddening than the open speech. For myself, I did not value the talk of the cats at one jack straw, but for this young girl sitting so still beside me— By Heaven, I dared not look at her. Nor did I know what to do, how to stop them without making the matter worse for her, and I continued to sit in an agony grizzling on the gridiron of their calumnies. Had they been talking lies outright it might have been easily borne, but there was enough of truth mixed in the gossip to burn the girl with the fires of shame.
At the touch of a hand I turned to look into a face grown white and chill, all the joy of life struck out of it. The girl’s timorous eyes implored me to spare her more of this scene.
“Oh Kenneth, get me away from here. I will be dying of shame. Let us be going at once,” she asked in a low cry.
“There is no way out except through the crowd of them. Will you dare make the attempt? Should I be recognized it may be worse for you.”
“I am not fearing if you go with me. And at all events anything iss better than this.”
There was a chance that we might pass through unobserved, and I took it; but I was white-hot with rage and I dare say my aggressive bearing bewrayed me. In threading our way to the door I brushed accidentally against Mistress Westerleigh. She drew aside haughtily, then gave a little scream of recognition.
“Kenn Montagu, of all men in the world—and turned Quaker, too. Gog’s life, ’tis mine, ’tis mine! The hundred guineas are mine. I call you all to witness I have taken the desperate highwayman. ‘Tall, strong, and extremely well-looking; carries himself like a gentleman.’ This way, sir,” she cried merrily, and laying hold of my coat-tails began to drag me toward the men.
There was a roar of laughter at this, and the pink-white youth lounged forward to offer me a hand of welcome I took pains not to see.
“Faith, the lady has the right of it, Montagu. That big body of yours is worth a hundred guineas now if it never was before,” laughed Selwyn.
“Sorry to disappoint the lady, but unfortunately my business carries me in another direction,” I said stiffly.