Black Sheep

he said caustically.

She could not help laughing. 'Does he do so? I thought they were his favourites too: he is certainly very well read in them.'

'Pea-goose! So would you be, if you made it your business to study them!'

'Poor young man! But even if Fanny did prefer him to your nephew it wouldn't do, I'm afraid.'

'Why not?'

'Because – as you very well know! – James would consider him to be almost as ineligible as Stacy!'

'I know nothing of the sort. Your brother James whistle a fortune down the wind? Gammon!'

'But he has no fortune!' she protested. 'He is connected with trade, too, which James would very much dislike.'

'Oh, would he? My sweet simpleton, let James get but one whiff of an East India merchant's heir in Bath, and he won't lose a moment in setting snares to catch such a prize!'

She disregarded this, exclaiming: 'You must be mistaken! Oliver has no such expectations! Indeed, he feels that he has miserably disappointed his uncle.'

'Not he! Balking thinks the world of him, means to take him into partnership as soon as he's in good point again.'

'No, does he indeed? I am so glad! But as for thinking of his marrying Fanny, that's moonshine! I own, I should be thankful if she did fall in love with him – though she is much too young for marriage – but there's no likelihood of her doing so while she's besotted of your odious nephew.'

'You know, if you mean to talk of nothing but your tottyheaded niece and my odious nephew I shall have a colic,' he informed her.

'Well, of all the detestably uncivil things to say – !' she gasped.

'If it comes to that, what a detestably boring thing to talk about!'

'I beg your pardon!' she said icily. 'To me, it is a subject of paramount importance!'

'Yes, but it isn't so to me.'

Since Miss Butterbank came up at that moment, to tell her that dear Miss Wendover was ready to go home, she was prevented from uttering the retort that rose to her lips; but when her graceless tormentor presented himself in Sydney Place on Saturday she received him with a good deal of chilly reserve. As far as she could discover, this had no effect on him whatsoever. He devoted himself largely to Selina, listening good-naturedly to her rambling discourse, until she embarked on a catalogue of the various illnesses suffered by herself and several of her friends when he retaliated by telling her of the terrible diseases rife in India. From there it was a small step to a description of such aspects of Indian life, climate, and scenery as were most calculated to hold spellbound a middle-aged lady of enquiring mind and credulous disposition. Selina mellowed perceptibly under this treatment, and told Abby, when they had withdrawn from the dining-room, leaving their guest to enjoy a glass of port in solitary state, that really Mr Calverleigh was a most interesting man. 'I declare I feel as if I had actually been to India myself !' she said. 'So vivid, and droll – all those strange customs! Tigers and elephants, too – not that I should care to live with tigers, and although I believe elephants are wonderfully docile I don't think I could ever feel myself at ease with them. But so very interesting – quite like a fairy story!'

Abby, who thought that some of Mr Calverleigh's tales were exactly like fairy stories, was able to agree to this with perfect sincerity. She had every intention of maintaining her punctilious civility, and might have done so had he not said, as he took his seat beside her in the carriage he had hired for the evening:

'I wish I had ordered a hot brick to be provided.'

'Thank you, but there was not the least need to do so: I don't feel at all cold.'

'I daresay icebergs don't feel cold either, but I do!'

She was betrayed into a smothered choke of laughter, whereupon he added: 'From having lived so long in a hot climate, you understand.'

'I understand you perfectly, sir, and shall take leave to tell you that there's neither truth nor shame in you!'

'Well, not much, perhaps!' he owned.

Since this quite overset her gravity, she was obliged to relent towards him, and by the time Beaufort Square was reached their former good relationship had been so well restored that she was able to look forward to an evening of unalloyed enjoyment, which not even the surprised stares of several persons with whom she was acquainted seriously disturbed. Mr Calverleigh proved himself to be an excellent host: not only had he hired one of the handsomely appointed first-tier boxes, but he had also arranged for tea and cakes to be brought to it during one of the intervals. Abby said appreciatively: 'How comfortable it is not to be obliged to inch one's way through the press in the foyer! You are entertaining me in royal style, Mr Calverleigh!'

'What, with cat-lap and cakes? If I entertained you royally I should give you pink champagne!'

'Which I shouldn't have liked half as well!'

'No, that's why I didn't give it to you.'

'I expect,' said Abby, quizzing him, 'it is invariably drunk in India – even for breakfast! Another of the strange customs you described to my sister!'