“That’s an utterly silly scheme. There’s nobody here to marry her except Vittie, and I’m perfectly certain his aunts wouldn’t let him. He has two aunts. If that is all Miss Pettigrew has to suggest she might as well have stopped at home.” The Canon sighed. “I’m afraid I must be going,” he said, “I promised Miss Pettigrew that I’d be back in half an hour. We’re going to see Lalage at once.” “Lalage will be in bed by the time you get there; if she’s not organizing another torchlight procession. You’d far better stop where you are.” “I’d like to, but----” “You can get a bed here and send over for your things. Your two ladies are in the other hotel, I suppose.” “Yes. We knew you were here and Miss Battersby seemed a little afraid of catching influenza, so we went to the other.” “That’s all right. You’ll be quite safe for the night if you stop here.” “I wish I could, but----” “You’ll not do any good by talking to Lalage. You know that.” “I know that of course; but----” “It won’t be at all pleasant for you when Miss Pettigrew comes out with that plan of hers for marrying Lalage to Vittie. There’ll be a horrid row. From what I know of Lalage I feel sure that she’ll resent the suggestion. There’ll be immense scope for language in the argument which follows and they’ll all feel freer to speak out if there isn’t a church dignitary standing there listening.” “I know all that, but still----” “You don’t surely mean to say that you _want_ to go and wrangle with Lalage?” “Of course not. I hate that kind of thing and always did; but----” “Out with it, Canon. You stick at that ‘but’ every time.” “I promised Miss Pettigrew I’d go back.” “Is that all?” “Not quite. The fact is--you don’t know Miss Pettigrew, so you won’t understand.” “You’re afraid of her?” I said. “Well, yes, I am. Besides, the Archdeacon said some stiff things to me before we started, uncommonly stiff things. Stiff isn’t the word I want, but you’ll probably know what I mean.” “Prickly,” I suggested. “Yes, prickly. Prickly things about the responsibility of fatherhood and the authority of parents. I really must go.” “Very well. If you must, you must, of course. But don’t drag me into it. Remember that I’ve got influenza and if Miss Pettigrew and Miss Battersby come here I’ll infect them. I rely on you to nip in the bud any suggestion that I’ve anything to do with the affair one way or the other. I tell you plainly that I’d rather see Lalage heading a torchlight procession every day in the week than married to Vittie.” “The Archdeacon says that you are the person chiefly responsible for what he calls Lalage’s compromising position.” “The Archdeacon may say what he likes. I’m not responsible. Good heavens, Canon, how can you suppose for an instant that anybody could, be responsible for Lalage?” “I didn’t suppose it. I was only quoting the Archdeacon.” “I wish to goodness the Archdeacon would mind his own business!”