“Why, of course,” said Mrs Peagrim. “Any friend of yours, Mr Rooke —”
“Thanks awfully. Special reason why I’d like him to come, and all that. He’s a fellow named Underhill. Sir Derek Underhill. Been a pal of mine for years and years.”
Uncle Chris started.
“Underhill! Is Derek Underhill in America?”
“Landed this morning. Routed me out of bed at seven o’clock.”
“Oh, do you know him, too, Major Selby?” said Mrs Peagrim. “Then I’m sure he must be charming!”
“Charming,” began Uncle Chris in measured tones, “is an adjective which I cannot —”
“Well, thanks most awfully,” interrupted Freddie. “It’s fearfully good of you to let me bring him along. I must be staggering off now. Lot of things to do.”
“Oh, must you go already?”
“Absolutely must. Lot of things to do.”
Uncle Chris extended a hand to his hostess.
“I think I will be going along, too, Mrs Peagrim. I’ll walk a few yards with you, Freddie my boy. There are one or two things I would like to talk over. Till tonight, Mrs Peagrim.”
“Till tonight, Major Selby.” She turned to Mr Pilkington as the door closed. “What charming manners Major Selby has, So polished. A sort of old-world courtesy. So smooth!”
“Smooth,” said Mr Pilkington dourly, “is right!”
2.
Uncle Chris confronted Freddie sternly outside the front door.
“What does this mean? Good God, Freddie, have you no delicacy”
“Eh?” said Freddie blankly.
“Why are you bringing Underhill to this party? Don’t you realize that poor Jill will be there? How do you suppose she will feel when she sees that blackguard again? The cad who threw her over and nearly broke her heart!”
Freddie’s jaw fell. He groped for his fallen eyeglass.
“Oh, my aunt! Do you think she will be pipped?”
“A sensitive girl like Jill!”
“But, listen. Derek wants to marry her.”
“What!”
“Oh, absolutely. That’s why he’s come over.”
Uncle Chris shook his head.
“I don’t understand this. I saw the letter myself which he wrote to her, breaking off the engagement.”
“Yes, but he’s dashed sorry about all that now. Wishes he had never been such a mug, and all that sort of thing. As a matter of fact, that’s why I shot over here in the first place. As an ambassador, don’t you know. I told Jill all about it directly I saw her, but she seemed inclined to give it a miss rather, so I cabled old Derek to pop here in person. Seemed to me, don’t you know, that Jill might be more likely to make it up and all that if she saw old Derek.”
Uncle Chris nodded, his composure restored.
“Very true. Yes, certainly, my boy, you acted most sensibly. Badly as Underhill behaved, she undoubtedly loved him. It would be the best possible thing that could happen if they could be brought together. It is my dearest wish to see Jill comfortably settled. I was half hoping that she might marry young Pilkington.”
“Good God! The Pilker!”
“He is quite a nice young fellow,” argued Uncle Chris. “None too many brains, perhaps, but Jill would supply that deficiency. Still, of course, Underhill would be much better.”
“She ought to marry someone,” said Freddie earnestly. “I mean, all rot a girl like Jill having to knock about and rough it like this.”
“You’re perfectly right.”
“Of course,” said Freddie thoughtfully, “the catch in the whole dashed business is that she’s such a bally independent sort of girl. I mean to say, it’s quite possible she may hand Derek the mitten, you know.”
“In that case, let us hope that she will look more favorably on young Pilkington.”
“Yes,” said Freddie. “Well, yes. But—well, I wouldn’t call the Pilker a very ripe sporting proposition. About sixty to one against is the way I should figure it, if I were making a book. It may be just because I’m feeling a bit pipped this morning—got turfed out of bed at seven o’clock and all that—but I have an idea that she may give both of them the old razz. May be wrong, of course.”
“Let us hope that you are, my boy,” said Uncle Chris gravely. “For in that case I should be forced into a course of action from which I confess that I shrink.”