"How could I be such an ass as to ask them down?" said Trevor, aloud, as
he stood at the dining-room window directly after lunch.
"And then such an ass as to say so out loud?" said a voice behind him;
Frank Pratt having returned to the room, and his footsteps being
inaudible on the thick Turkey carpet.
"Ah, Frank?" said Trevor, turning sharply, "you there!"
"Yes, sir," said Pratt, solemnly, "I am here--for the present. Will you
have the goodness to order a carriage, or a cart, or something, to
convey my portmanteau to Saint Kitt's, and I'll be off by the night
train."
"Be off--night train--what the deuce do you mean?"
"Mean? Why, that you were just accusing yourself of being a fool for
firing me down; and--"
"Don't, Franky--don't be a donkey I'm worried and bothered, old man.
Help me: don't get in my way."
"I that moment proposed getting out of it," said Pratt, quietly.
"Tut, tut, tut!--you know I didn't mean you. Look here, Frank, I want
to go out this afternoon--to make a call."
Pratt made a grimace, and an attempt to feel his friend's pulse.
"No, no; don't play the fool now," said Trevor. "You know I've only
just got those two down, and it would be so rude to leave them."
"And you don't want to take them--with you?"
"No, certainly not," exclaimed Trevor, hastily.
"But they have been introduced," said Pratt.
"To whom--where?" said Trevor.
"Oh, my dear, transparent, young sea deity," said Pratt, laying his hand
on Trevor's shoulder. "It is so easy to see through you. Of course you
don't want to go straight off to Sir Hampton Court's this afternoon."
"Well, and if I do, what then?"
"Nothing, whatever," said Pratt. "She really is nice; I own it."
"Don't humbug, Frank. Of course I want to call there. I want to patch
up that unpleasantly. I want to be on good terms with my neighbours."
"Hadn't you better have only a week's holiday down here, and then be off
again to sea?"
"Will you help me, Franky, or won't you?"
"I will. Now, then, what is it? Get up something to amuse Van and
Flick till you come back?"
"Yes, that's it. Do that for me, there's a dear old fellow."
"What should you think the hour or so worth to you?"
"Worth? I don't understand you."
"Would you stand a five-pound note for the freedom?"
"Half a dozen, you mercenary little limb of the law."
"Hold hard, there! or, in your nautical parlance, avast there! I don't
want the money--only to lose. If I play billiards with Van he's sure to
beat me, and he knows it; therefore, he won't play me without he thinks
he can win some money. Give me a fiver to lose to him, and I'll warrant
he won't leave the billiard-room till he has got every shilling."
"Here--take ten pounds," said Trevor, hastily; "and go on, there's a
good fellow."
"No; five will do for him," said Frank. "And now I shall have to play
my best, to make it last."
"Frank, old boy, you're a trump. I don't know what I should have done
without you."
"I always was a young man who could make himself generally useful," said
Pratt. "Good luck to you, old boy!"
He sighed, though, and looked rather gloomy as he went out to seek the
friends whom he had left in the smoking-room, where Vanleigh was in
anything but a good humour, and had been pouring a host of complaints
into Sir Felix's ear. It was foolish of them to come down to such an
out-of-the-way place; they should be eaten up with ennui. Why didn't
Trevor order horses round? The wines weren't good; and he hadn't smoked
such bad weeds for years.
"Must make the best of a bad bargain," said Sir Felix. "Must stay--
week."
"Oh! we'll stay a month now we are here," said Vanleigh; "let's punish
him somehow. What do you say to having a smoke outside?"
"I'm 'greeable," said Sir Felix; and they passed out through the window.