GERALD.
Nonsense. You"re only ten years older than he is, and nowadays no nice young man marries a woman younger than himself.
LADY FREDERICK.
He"s such a good fellow. I couldn"t do him a nasty turn like that.
GERALD.
How about Montgomerie? He simply stinks of money, and he"s not a bad sort.
LADY FREDERICK.
[_Surprised._] My dear boy, I hardly know him.
GERALD.
Well, I"m afraid it means marriage or bankruptcy.
LADY FREDERICK.
Here"s Charlie. Take him away, there"s a dear. I want to talk to Paradine.
_Enter_ PARADINE FOULDES _with_ MERESTON.
FOULDES.
What, still here, Lady Frederick?
LADY FREDERICK.
As large as life.
FOULDES.
We"ve been taking a turn on the terrace.
LADY FREDERICK.
[_To_ MERESTON.] And has your astute uncle been pumping you, Charlie?
FOULDES.
Eh, what?
MERESTON.
I don"t think he got much out of me.
FOULDES.
[_Good-naturedly._] All I wanted, dear boy. There"s no one so transparent as the person who thinks he"s devilish deep. By the way, what"s the time?
GERALD.
About eleven, isn"t it?
FOULDES.
Ah! How old are you, Charlie?
MERESTON.
Twenty-two.
FOULDES.
Then it"s high time you went to bed.
LADY FREDERICK.
Charlie"s not going to bed till I tell him. Are you?
MERESTON.
Of course not.
FOULDES.
Has it escaped your acute intelligence, my friend, that I want to talk to Lady Frederick?
MERESTON.
Not at all. But I have no reason to believe that Lady Frederick wants to talk to you.
GERALD.
Let"s go and have a game of pills, Charlie.
MERESTON.
D"you want to be left alone with the old villain?
FOULDES.
You show no respect for my dyed hairs, young man.
LADY FREDERICK.