"Say, Lady Carfax, let me go and kick that old scandal-monger into the middle of next week!" Involuntarily almost she gave her hand in return.

"No, you mustn't," she said, laughing faintly.

"The fault was ours.

You know the ancient adage about listeners.

We deserved it all." "Don't talk about deserts!" he exclaimed, with unexpected vehemence.