I had to laugh at this. But there was no smile out of my lady.
“It took me near an hour and a half to answer your note,” I replied.
“And 'twas a masterpiece!” exclaimed Dolly, with withering sarcasm; “oh, a most amazing masterpiece, I'll be bound! His worship the French Ambassador is a kitten at diplomacy beside you, sir. An hour and a half, did you say, sir? Gemini, the Secretary of State and his whole corps could not have composed the like in a day.”
“Faith!” I cried, with feeling enough; “and if that is diplomacy, I would rather make leather breeches than be given an embassy.”
She fixed her eyes upon me so disconcertingly that mine fell.
“There was a time,” she said, with a change of tone, “there was a time when a request of mine, and it were not granted outright, would have received some attention. This is my first experience at being ignored.”
“I had made a wager,” said I, “and could not retract with honour.”
“So you had made a wager! Now we are to have some news at last. How stupid of you, Richard, not to tell me before. I confess I wonder what these wits find in your company. Here am I who have seen naught but dull women for a fortnight, and you have failed to say anything amusing in a quarter of an hour. Let us hear about the wager.”
“Where is little to tell,” I answered shortly, considerably piqued. “I bet your friend, the Duke of Chartersea, some hundreds of pounds I could ride Lord Baltimore's Pollux for twenty minutes, after which his Grace was to get on and ride twenty more.”
“Where did you see the duke?” Dolly interrupted, without much show of interest.