‘You know Jack Portland!’ cried the earl with unaffected surprise. ‘Where on earth did you meet him, and why have you not spoken of him to me before?’ ‘To answer your last question first, Ilfracombe, simply because the subject was not sufficiently interesting to recall itself to my mind. And as for where I met him, it was of course in Malta, where, as you know, I have vegetated for the best part of my life!’ ‘In Malta?’ echoed the earl; ‘why, of course Jack has been there. It never occurred to me before, but it was his recommendation of the place that took me there. So I may almost say that I owe the happiness of meeting you to him. Let me see! How long was it ago? Two years?’ ‘There or thereabouts,’ said Nora indifferently. ‘And did you not like him, Nora? Did you not think him a very charming man?’ The countess shrugged her shoulders. ‘Am I to tell you the truth, or to bow to the fact that Mr Portland is one of your greatest friends, Ilfracombe?’ she replied. ‘The truth, of course, darling. I can hardly expect you to see everybody with the same eyes as myself; but I cannot imagine anybody, and especially any woman, disliking old Jack.’ ‘Then I’m the odd man out,’ said his wife, with a _moue_. ‘Really. What did he do to offend you? I’m sure he must have fallen in love with you; but you have experienced that sort of thing too often to make it a cause of offence.’ ‘Is it necessary for a person to actually affront you in order to create a dislike? I don’t think I saw enough of Mr Portland to do him that honour. He stayed, if I remember rightly, with Captain and Mrs Loveless, in the dockyard, and they brought him to see my mother. He is a tall, broad-shouldered fellow, is he not, with blue eyes and reddish hair? Well, he struck me as horsey decidedly; and, perhaps, that was the reason I didn’t cotton to him. But, pray, don’t imagine, Ilfracombe, that I am going to make myself disagreeable to any friend of yours. It is only that I am indifferent to him. My welcome will be just in proportion to your wishes.’ ‘My dearest girl, I am sure of that, and when you know him better, you will like him as much as I do. He’s rattling good fun; isn’t he, Castelton?’ ‘Yes, according to our ideas, perhaps, Ilfracombe, but he might not suit a lady as well. Jack has drank rather more than he ought to have done of late years, and spoilt his beauty in consequence. Else he used to be one of the handsomest fellows on the turf.’ ‘Is it necessary to talk about Mr Portland any longer?’ demanded the countess, with a yawn behind her hand. ‘Captain Knyvett, do fetch the cards from the saloon, and let us have a game. We’ve been fooling all the afternoon away. It is time we exercised our brains a little.’