“At last, sir, you have come,” she said severely. “Sit down and give an account of yourself at once. You have been behaving very badly.”
“Dorothy—”
“Pray don't 'Dorothy' me, sir. But explain where you have been for this week past.”
“But, Dolly—”
“You pretend to have some affection for your old playmate, but you do not trouble yourself to come to see her.”
“Indeed, you do me wrong.”
“Do you wrong! You prefer to gallivant about town with Comyn and Charles Fox, and with all those wild gentlemen who go to Brooks's. Nay, I have heard of your goings-on. I shall write to Mr. Carvel to-day, and advise him to send for you. And tell him that you won a thousand pounds in one night—”
“It was only seven hundred,” I interrupted sheepishly. I thought she smiled faintly.
And will probably lose twenty thousand before you have done. And I shall say to him that you have dared to make bold rebel speeches to a Lord of the Admiralty and to some of the King's supporters. I shall tell your grandfather you are disgracing him.”
“Rebel speeches!” I cried.