Part 57 (1/2)
Mavis blushed; she bent down to pat Jill in order to conceal the pleasure his words gave her.
”Tell me what Archie Windebank said about me,” she presently said.
”Blow Windebank!”
”I want to know.”
”Then I suppose I must tell you.”
”Of course: out with it and get it over.”
”You met him once in town, didn't you?”
”Only once.”
”Where?”
”Quite casually. Tell me what he said.”
”He wanted to know if I'd ever run across you, and, if I did, I was at once to wire to him and let him know.”
”Are you going to?”
”No fear,” replied Perigal emphatically.
”Aren't men very selfish?” she asked.
”They are where those women they admire are concerned.”
At the conclusion of the meal, they sat in the inn garden. They spoke of old times, old a.s.sociations. Mavis gave Perigal an abridged account of her doings since she had last seen him, omitting to mention her experience with Mr Orgles, Mrs Hamilton, and Miss Ewer.
”I suppose you've run across a lot of chaps in London?” he presently remarked.
”No, I haven't run against any 'chaps', as you call them.”
”Rot!”
”It's a fact.”
”Do you mean to say you've never yet had a love affair?”
”That's a business that requires two, isn't it?”
”Usually.”
”Well, I've always made a point of standing out.”
”Eh!”
”I suppose it's vanity--call it that if you like--but I think too much of myself to be a party to a mere love affair, as you would call it.”