Cotillion

Much struck, he said: ‘You think I’m wise? Me?’

‘Of course I do! You always know just what one should do, and if only I had attended to you, when you warned me what would come of it, if I allowed myself to be drawn into poor Olivia’s set, I should not have fallen into this scrape. Are you very much displeased with me, Freddy?’

‘No, no! Not your fault! Just not up to snuff!’ he assured her.

‘You are a great deal too kind to me!’ she said, pressing his arm. ‘Indeed I am sorry, and so very grateful to you for rescuing me! I was in a flat despair! Oh, but Freddy, I could not help wishing you had been present at that dreadful dinner-party! Only, if you had been, and we had exchanged glances, I know I must have gone into whoops, so perhaps it is as well you were not! I sat beside Mr Scorton, and he barely spoke a word, but ate and ate, until his face shone, and I don’t think he could speak!’

‘Told you he was a rum touch,’ remarked Freddy. ‘Able to speak by the time I arrived, though. Queer set of company, wasn’t it? Who was that fellow I set down just now?’

‘I haven’t a notion, and I doubt if the Scortons have either, for he was not of our party at the start of the evening. And I must say, Freddy, you did it beautifully! It was almost enough to make up for all the rest!’

‘Very happy to have been of service!’ murmured Mr Standen, gratified. ‘Fellow been annoying you?’

‘He was quite odious, but no, it wasn’t that!’

‘Something else?’ said Mr Standen encouragingly.

Kitty nodded, biting her lip. ‘Yes, but I think perhaps I should not speak of it, even to you. I am in such a fix, and don’t know what to do!’

‘Don’t do anything until we’ve got a hack!’ recommended Freddy. ‘Tell me then!’

Kitty was glad to follow the first part of this eminently sensible advice; but when she sat beside Freddy, in the darkness and mustiness of the hackney-coach, and he bade her tell him the whole, she hesitated.

‘Much better do so,’ he said. ‘Might be able to help you.’

‘Freddy—it is most secret!’

‘Well, dash it, Kit, you don’t suppose I’m going to blab it out to anyone, do you?’

She sighed. ‘No. Of course you would not. The thing is, my cousin, the—my cousin Camille was there tonight.’

‘Thought very likely he would be.’

‘Yes, but—Freddy, what do you know of him?’

‘Don’t know anything,’ replied Freddy firmly. ‘Seems a very pleasant fellow!’

‘Has Jack said anything to you about him?’

‘Said he was your cousin. Told us so one evening at Meg’s place. Must remember that, Kit!’

‘Is that all Jack knows?’

‘Lord, how should I—Dash it, Kit, I’m not going to answer a lot of questions, when I don’t know what the deuce you’ve got in your head! Silly thing to do! Bound to land myself in the basket! What’s Jack been saying to you?’

‘Nothing! It was Camille himself, who—who made a—a shocking disclosure to me this evening. Freddy, it seems that he is not a Chevalier at all, but a—I must say, an adventurer!’

‘Is he, though?’ said Freddy. ‘Thought he was an ivory-turner myself. Comes to the same thing.’

‘Good God, did you know this?’ she exclaimed.

‘Didn’t know it. Just a notion I took into my head. Fact is, asked m’father to discover who he was. No wish to distress you, Kit, but he ain’t known at the Embassy, and this precious uncle of his don’t seem to exist. At least, very likely he may have a dozen uncles, but there ain’t a Marquis amongst ’em. No need to get into a taking over that! Don’t have to have Marquises in the family! Quite respectable not to. Well, what I mean is, think of us! We haven’t any!’

‘But I cannot think that Camille is at all respectable,’ said Kitty, in a small voice. ‘I very much fear, Freddy, that he is a gamester!’

‘He is?’ said Freddy, rather pleased. ‘Just what I said! Tell you so?’

‘Yes. He said also that his father runs a hell!’