Bring us some tea," said the Honourable John Ruffin lightly; and he went down the passage.
He came into the sitting-room briskly, and found the duke sitting in an easy chair, with his silk hat thrust well back on his head, in a fashion which gave him a far from ducal, an even raffish air.
"How are you, Ruffin ?" he said, with an amiable smile, but in a somewhat nervous and deprecatory tone.
"How are you, Osterley?
Got over the sulks ?" said the Honourable John Ruffin lightly.
"Sulks?
I never sulk!" said the duke with some heat.
"What do you call them then ?" said the Honourable John Ruffin with a good display of the liveliest most unaffected interest.
"I don't know what you're talking about!" said the duke coldly; but he flushed.
It is likely that the Honourable John Ruffin would have raised him to a considerable temperature on this matter; but the entrance of Pollyooly, bearing the tea-tray, closed the discussion of it.

The Honourable John Ruffin poured out the tea and handed the bread and butter to the duke.
They ate some bread and butter and drank some tea; and then the duke said plaintively: "This is jolly good tea.

Why don't I ever get tea like this ?" "You ought to.

You pay enough for it," said the Honourable John Ruffin in a tone which lacked sympathy.
"I do.

I believe I employ every incompetent jackass in London," said the duke bitterly.
"And I expect you don't make any secret of your conviction at home," said the Honourable John Ruffin.
"I don't," said the duke firmly; then yet more plaintively he added: "Oh, it's a dog's life for a man trying to run places like Ricksborough House and the court on his own!" "I expect it does try you a bit too high," said the Honourable John Ruffin.
"It would any man," said the duke with conviction.
The Honourable John Ruffin thought that a man of tact and amiability could probably do it quite easily; but he did not say so.