"Hullo, old fellow!" he said, "I wish you had come to the club with me.
Atherleigh was there, and is delighted with you. What you told him this
morning enabled him to smash up his enemies, and as the smashing lately
has been rather the other way he is jubilant. He wants you to go to see
him again to-morrow. Oh, by the way, you made your escape all right. I
only hope I may be as lucky. Well, what do you think of your lady-love
now?"
"I think," said Bottles slowly--"that I had rather not say what I do
think."
"Well, you are not going to marry her now, I suppose?"
"No, I shall not marry her."
"That is all right; but I expect that it will take _me_ all I know to
get clear of her. However, there are some occasions in life when one is
bound to sacrifice one's own convenience, and this is one of them. After
all, she is really very pretty in the evening, so it might have been
worse."
Bottles winced, and Sir Eustace took a cigarette.
"By the way, old fellow," he said, as he settled himself in his chair
again, "I hope you are not put out with me over this. Believe me, you
have no cause to be jealous; she does not care a hang about me, it
is only the title and the money. If a fellow who was a lord and had a
thousand a year more proposed to her to-morrow she would chuck me up and
take him.
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