‘That’s just what it ain’t in the least likely to be!’ muttered his lordship.
She came to the fire. ‘What did you say, Sherry?’
‘Nothing. Sit down! Oh, the devil take that bird!’ He strode over to the canary, and covered its cage, and turned back to Hero. ‘Now, brat, out with it! How badly were you dipped at Charlotte Gillingham’s house while I was away?’
The colour fled from her cheeks, and the look of trustful expectancy from her eyes. ‘Oh, Sherry, who told you?’ she said, in a frightened voice.
‘Never mind that! How much, Kitten?’
She shuddered. ‘Oh, don’t ask me! It was so shocking!’
‘Not ask you!’ he exclaimed. ‘How the deuce am I to settle your debts if I don’t know what they are? Don’t be nonsensical!’
‘Oh, Sherry, Sherry, I am so very sorry! Indeed, I never meant to be such a bad wife! And you are not to settle for me at all, because I am going to pay it myself, and I shall do so, Sherry, because you give me such a big allowance for my pin-money, and I won’t purchase any more new gowns, or anything! I promise!’
‘That’s fudge, brat. Besides, you must pay your gaming-debts at once, you know. Can’t expect people to wait for what you owe ’em. Shocking badton, my girl!’
‘Yes, yes, I know that, and indeed I have redeemed all my vowels, though at first I did not know how in the world I could do so, and I felt as though I would rather die than –’
‘Just a moment!’ Sherry said, catching her unquiet hands, and holding them in a hard grasp. ‘How did you contrive to come by the money to redeem your vowels? I’ll swear you’d little enough left of this quarter’s allowance! Kitten, you haven’t sold the emeralds?’
‘Oh,no, Sherry! Of course I have not done such a wicked thing! Why, they are not mine to sell! How could you think I would dream of doing so?’
‘Then how the devil did you raise the wind?’
‘I borrowed the money!’ she replied triumphantly.
‘Borrowedit? Good God, I had rather you had sold the emeralds! Who – Kitten, don’t tell me you came down on poor old Gil to lend you money!’
‘No, no! I knewthatwould not do! I went to those people you told me about, and they were very obliging, and –’
‘What people?’ he interrupted, turning a little pale.
‘I do not recall their names, but you will know, Sherry! you called them cents-per-cent, and they live –’
‘Howard and Gibbs!’ he ejaculated, in a stunned tone.
‘Yes, those are their names,’ she nodded. ‘And as soon as I told them I was your wife they – at least, it was just one man – he was most civil, and he said he was perfectly willing to lend me the money, and I need not fear that he would press me for an early settlement.’
‘I’ll warrant he did!’ Sherry said. He released her hands. ‘Howard and Gibbs! Kitten, howcouldyou?’
‘You are angry!’ she faltered. ‘Was it wrong of me? I did not know. You said you had had dealings with them, and I thought –’
He groaned. ‘The devil! I said! I said! For God’s sake, girl, did I ever say that you were to have dealings with them?’
‘No, Sherry,’ she replied, in a small voice. ‘But you did not tell me I must not, and what else could I do, when I owed all that money?’
He said sharply: ‘In the devil’s name, why could you not have told me? Hang it, I may have boxed your ears once or twice, and I dare say I might have done so again, but you can’t have been afraid of me!’
She got up, quickly, colour surging into her cheeks. ‘Afraid of you, Sherry! Oh, never, never! But I felt so dreadfully! You do not understand! You have had such a shocking run of luck, and then those horrid horses behaved so badly at Newmarket – Iwould have doneanythingrather than ask you to pay my gaming-debts!’
He stared at her. ‘Hero, you could not suppose that I would permit you to fall into the hands of those blood-suckers?’
‘But, Sherry, I am persuaded they are no such things! I am to pay back the principal out of my allowance, and –’
‘You little fool, they know very well you will do no such thing! They hope you will become more deeply dipped than ever, and fall more securely into their talons, until – Oh, the devil, where’s the use? Listen, brat! –Never, whatever happens, have anything to do with moneylenders! It’s the surest road to ruin of them all! Yes, yes, I know I’ve been in their hands myself, but that’s another thing altogether – at least, it isn’t! I can tell you this: I’ll take precious good care I don’t fall into ’em again. Promise me, now!’
‘I promise. I am very sorry! If I had known you would not like it –’
