D"you mean to say ...?
CAPTAIN MONTGOMERIE.
I will be quite frank with you. I should never have allowed Gerald to lose so much money which there was no likelihood of his being able to pay, if I had not thought it earned me some claim upon your grat.i.tude.
LADY FREDERICK.
[_Shortly._] Gerald will pay every penny he owes you to-morrow.
CAPTAIN MONTGOMERIE.
[_Blandly._] Where d"you suppose he"ll get it?
LADY FREDERICK.
I have no doubt I shall be able to manage something.
CAPTAIN MONTGOMERIE.
Have you not tried this morning, entirely without success?
LADY FREDERICK.
[_Startled._] What?
CAPTAIN MONTGOMERIE.
You do not forget that you have sundry moneys of your own which are payable to-morrow?
LADY FREDERICK.
How d"you know that?
CAPTAIN MONTGOMERIE.
I told you that when I took a thing in hand I carried it through. You went to d.i.c.k Cohen, and he told you he"d parted with the bills. Didn"t you guess that only one man could have the least interest in taking them over?
LADY FREDERICK.
You?
CAPTAIN MONTGOMERIE.
Yes.
LADY FREDERICK.
Oh, G.o.d.
CAPTAIN MONTGOMERIE.
Come, come, don"t be worried over it. There"s nothing to be alarmed about. I"m a very decent chap--if you"d accepted me right away you would never have known that those bills were in my possession. Think it over once more. I"m sure we should get on well together. I can give you what you most need, money and the liberty to fling it away as recklessly as you choose; you can give me the a.s.sured and fixed position on which--my father"s heart was set.
LADY FREDERICK.
And if I don"t accept, you"ll make me a bankrupt and you"ll ruin Gerald?
CAPTAIN MONTGOMERIE.
I refuse to consider that very unpleasant alternative.
LADY FREDERICK.
Oh! I can"t, I can"t.
CAPTAIN MONTGOMERIE.
[_Laughing._] But you must, you must. When shall I come for your answer?
To-morrow? I"ll come with the bills and Gerald"s I.O.U. in my pocket, and you shall burn them yourself. Good-bye.
[_He kisses her hand and goes out._ LADY FREDERICK _remains staring in front of her_. MERESTON _enters, followed by_ LADY MERESTON _and_ PARADINE.
MERESTON.
[_Going to her eagerly._] Hulloa! I wondered what on earth had become of you.
LADY FREDERICK.
[_With a laugh._] It"s only two hours since I chased you away from me.
MERESTON.
I"m afraid I bore you to death.
LADY FREDERICK.
Don"t be so silly. You know you don"t.
MERESTON.
Where are you going now?
LADY FREDERICK.
I have rather a headache. I"m going to lie down.
MERESTON.