"Eternal vigilance," said Mr. Brent, and they sat down amidst the laughter, Lily Dallam declaring that he was horrid, and Mrs. Chandos giving him a look of tender reproach. But he turned abruptly to Honora, who was on his other side.
"Where did you drop down from, Mrs. Spence?" he inquired.
"Why do you take it for granted that I have dropped?" she asked sweetly.
He looked at her queerly for a moment, and then burst out laughing.
"Because you are sitting next to Lucifer," he said. "It's kind of me to warn you, isn't it?"
"It wasn't necessary," replied Honora. "And besides, as a dinner companion, I imagine Lucifer couldn't be improved on."
He laughed again.
"As a dinner companion!" he repeated. "So you would limit Lucifer to dinners? That's rather a severe punishment, since we're neighbours."
"How delightful to have Lucifer as one's neighbour," said Honora, avoiding his eyes. "Of course I've been brought up to believe that he was always next door, so to speak, but I've never—had any proof of it until now."
"Proof!" echoed Mr. Brent. "Has my reputation gone before me?"