‘I shan’t!’ promptly replied Hero, losing her temper. ‘I shall make a friend of anyone I choose, and I shall go where I choose, and I shall do what I choose, and I shall –’
‘Will you, by God!’ interrupted his lordship, descending purposefully upon her.
Hero retired strategically behind a small table. ‘Yes, I shall, and it is of no use to say Will I, by God! because it was you who said we would not interfere with one another, you know it was!’
The Viscount halted and stared at her suspiciously. ‘I said that? I’ll swear I never in my life said anything so damned silly!’
‘Yes, you did! You said I should not find you the sort of husband for ever kicking up a dust over trifles! You said that as long as I was discreet –’
‘Well, you ain’t!’ said his lordship, pouncing on this. ‘In fact, there was never anyone less discreet! And as for letting you do precisely as you choose, yes, a pretty piece of business you would make of that, my girl! With no more sense than that damned canary Gil was fool enough to give you, and no more notion of how to behave in society than Jason has!’
‘I don’tsteal!’ hotly exclaimed his wife.
‘I never said you did!’
‘Yes, you did, because you said I was like Jason, and of all theodiousthings to say –’
‘I did not say you were like Jason! All I said was that you had no more idea –’
‘It is just the same, and it is just like you, Sherry, to say it is all my fault, when it was you who told me about bits of muslin and opera-dancers!’
‘How the deuce was I to know that you would blurt it out like a regular hoyden?’ demanded his lordship.
‘Well, you ought to have known I might very likely do so,’ Hero said candidly. ‘You have been acquainted with me for a long time, and I have made you as m-mad as fire with me times out of m-mind, through s-saying things I ought not. And Gil says you have no business to talk as you do in front of me, so it is just as much your fault as mine!’
‘Oh!’ said his lordship awfully. ‘So that’s it, is it? Not content with putting me to shame in public, you must needs discuss the matter with Gil! Upon my word, Hero, if that don’t beat all! I might have guessed how it would be! No doubt you asked him if he had an opera-dancer too!’
‘Yes and he said –’
‘What?’ thundered the Viscount.
‘He said he had not,’ ended Hero simply.
The Viscount appeared to have some difficulty in getting his breath. ‘Hero!’ he uttered at last. ‘Have younosense of propriety?’
‘Yes, I have!’ replied Hero, her bosom swelling. ‘I have much more than you have, Sherry, for I do not have opera-dancers, or get foxed, or – Oh, I wish you will go away! You are unkind, and unforgiving, and unreasonable, and I hate you!’
‘I am obliged to you, ma’am!’ said the Viscount, seeking refuge in sudden and awe-inspiring dignity. ‘I have not the least notion of inflicting my presence on you another instant, and I will wish you a very good-night!’
On this grand valediction he stalked from the room, closing the door with unnecessary violence, and leaving hisoverwrought wife to the indulgence of a hearty bout of tears.
They met next morning at the breakfast-table, both very conscious of the previous night’s quarrel. The Viscount bade Hero a punctilious good-morning, and buried himself in the newspaper. Hero poured out the coffee, and slowly consumed a roll. After a slight pause, she cleared her throat of an unaccountable lump, and said: ‘Sherry?’
The Viscount lowered the paper. ‘Well?’
‘Will you have a little ham?’ said Hero, quite dismayed by this forbidding aspect.
‘No, I thank you, I will not.’
‘Or – or some more coffee?’
‘No,’ said the Viscount, retiring once more into the paper.
Hero fortified herself with a few sips of her own coffee. She tried again. ‘Sherry?’
‘Well, what is it now?’
‘N-nothing!’ said Hero, on a distinct sob.
