'Eh?'
'Monty Bodkin coming here?' Sue stared in dismay. 'Oh, Gally , what a mess! Oh, I knew something was going to happen. I told Ronnie so, I've been feeling it for days.'
' My dear child, what's the matter with you ? What's wrong with young Bodkin coming here?'
‘I used to be engaged to him!' said Sue.
It seemed to the Hon. Galahad that advancing years and the comparative abstinence of his later life must have dulled his once keen quickness at the uptake. Sue's face had lost its colour, and 46 anxiety and alarm were clouding her pretty eyes, and he could make nothing of it.
' Were you ?' he said.' When was that ?'
'Two years ago ... Two and a half. . . Three ... I can't remember. Before I met Ronnie. But what does that matter? I tell you I used to be engaged to him.'
The Hon. Galahad was still fogged.
'But what's your trouble? What's all the agitation about? Why does it upset you so much, the idea of meeting him again? Painful associations, do you mean? Embarrassing? Don't want to awake agonizing memories in the fellow's bosom?'
'Of course not. It isn't that. It's Ronnie.'
'Why Ronnie?'
'He's so jealous. You know how jealous he is.'
The Hon. Galahad began to understand.
'He can't help it, poor darling. It's just the way he is. He makes himself miserable about nothing. So what will he do when Monty arrives ? I know Monty so well. He won't mean any harm, but he'll come bounding in, all hearty and bubbling, and start talking of old times. "Do you remember - ?" "I say, Sue, old girl, I wonder if you've forgotten -?"... Ugh! It will drive poor Ronnie crazy.'
The Hon. Galahad nodded.
‘I see what you mean. That touch of Auld Lang Syne is disturbing.'
'Why, he tries to pretend he isn't, but Ronnie's jealous even of Pilbeam.'
Once more the Hon. Galahad nodded. A grave nod. He quite realized that a man who could be jealous of the proprietor of the Argus Inquiry Agency was not a man lightly t o be introduced to former fiancé s, especially of the type of Monty Bodkin.
'We must give this matter a little earnest consideration,' he said thoughtfully. 'You wouldn't consider taking a firm line and telling Ronnie to go and boil his head and not make a young fool of himself, if he starts kicking up a fuss?'
'But you don't understand,' wailed Sue. 'He won't kick up a fuss. Ronnie isn't like that. He'll just get very stiff and cold and polite and suffer in a sort of awful Eton and Cambridge silence. And nothing I do will make him any better.'
An idea struck the Hon. Galahad.
'You're sure you really are in love with this young Fish?'
'I wish you wouldn't. . .'
'I'm sorry. I forgot. But you are?'
'Of course I am. There's nobody in the world for me but Ronnie. I've told you that before. I suppose what you're wondering is how I came to be engaged to Monty? Looking back, I can't think myself. He's a dear, of course, and when you're about seventeen, you're so flattered at finding that anyone wants to marry you that it seems wrong to refuse him. But it never amounted to anything. It only lasted a couple of weeks, anyhow. But Ronnie will imagine it was one of the world's great romances. He'll brood on it, and worry himself ill, wondering whether I'm still not pining for Monty. He's just like a kid in that way. It'll spoil everything.'
'And we may take it as pretty certain that Monty will let ii out ?'
'Of course he will. He's a babbler.'
'Yes, that's how I remember him. One of those fellows you can count on to say the wrong thing. Reminds me rather of a man I used to know in the old days called Bagshott. Boko Bagshott, we called him. Took a girl to supper once at the Garden. Supper scarcely concluded when angry old gentleman plunges into the room and starts shaking his list in Boko's face. Boko rises with chivalrous gesture. "Have no fear, sir. I am a man of honour. I will marry your daughter." "Daughter?" says old gentleman, foaming a little at the mouth. "Damn it, that's my wife." Took all Boko's tact to pass it off, I
'Monty Bodkin coming here?' Sue stared in dismay. 'Oh, Gally , what a mess! Oh, I knew something was going to happen. I told Ronnie so, I've been feeling it for days.'
' My dear child, what's the matter with you ? What's wrong with young Bodkin coming here?'
‘I used to be engaged to him!' said Sue.
It seemed to the Hon. Galahad that advancing years and the comparative abstinence of his later life must have dulled his once keen quickness at the uptake. Sue's face had lost its colour, and 46 anxiety and alarm were clouding her pretty eyes, and he could make nothing of it.
' Were you ?' he said.' When was that ?'
'Two years ago ... Two and a half. . . Three ... I can't remember. Before I met Ronnie. But what does that matter? I tell you I used to be engaged to him.'
The Hon. Galahad was still fogged.
'But what's your trouble? What's all the agitation about? Why does it upset you so much, the idea of meeting him again? Painful associations, do you mean? Embarrassing? Don't want to awake agonizing memories in the fellow's bosom?'
'Of course not. It isn't that. It's Ronnie.'
'Why Ronnie?'
'He's so jealous. You know how jealous he is.'
The Hon. Galahad began to understand.
'He can't help it, poor darling. It's just the way he is. He makes himself miserable about nothing. So what will he do when Monty arrives ? I know Monty so well. He won't mean any harm, but he'll come bounding in, all hearty and bubbling, and start talking of old times. "Do you remember - ?" "I say, Sue, old girl, I wonder if you've forgotten -?"... Ugh! It will drive poor Ronnie crazy.'
The Hon. Galahad nodded.
‘I see what you mean. That touch of Auld Lang Syne is disturbing.'
'Why, he tries to pretend he isn't, but Ronnie's jealous even of Pilbeam.'
Once more the Hon. Galahad nodded. A grave nod. He quite realized that a man who could be jealous of the proprietor of the Argus Inquiry Agency was not a man lightly t o be introduced to former fiancé s, especially of the type of Monty Bodkin.
'We must give this matter a little earnest consideration,' he said thoughtfully. 'You wouldn't consider taking a firm line and telling Ronnie to go and boil his head and not make a young fool of himself, if he starts kicking up a fuss?'
'But you don't understand,' wailed Sue. 'He won't kick up a fuss. Ronnie isn't like that. He'll just get very stiff and cold and polite and suffer in a sort of awful Eton and Cambridge silence. And nothing I do will make him any better.'
An idea struck the Hon. Galahad.
'You're sure you really are in love with this young Fish?'
'I wish you wouldn't. . .'
'I'm sorry. I forgot. But you are?'
'Of course I am. There's nobody in the world for me but Ronnie. I've told you that before. I suppose what you're wondering is how I came to be engaged to Monty? Looking back, I can't think myself. He's a dear, of course, and when you're about seventeen, you're so flattered at finding that anyone wants to marry you that it seems wrong to refuse him. But it never amounted to anything. It only lasted a couple of weeks, anyhow. But Ronnie will imagine it was one of the world's great romances. He'll brood on it, and worry himself ill, wondering whether I'm still not pining for Monty. He's just like a kid in that way. It'll spoil everything.'
'And we may take it as pretty certain that Monty will let ii out ?'
'Of course he will. He's a babbler.'
'Yes, that's how I remember him. One of those fellows you can count on to say the wrong thing. Reminds me rather of a man I used to know in the old days called Bagshott. Boko Bagshott, we called him. Took a girl to supper once at the Garden. Supper scarcely concluded when angry old gentleman plunges into the room and starts shaking his list in Boko's face. Boko rises with chivalrous gesture. "Have no fear, sir. I am a man of honour. I will marry your daughter." "Daughter?" says old gentleman, foaming a little at the mouth. "Damn it, that's my wife." Took all Boko's tact to pass it off, I
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