“Come in, come in, my Lord,” Mistress Molly wheeled upon him with a laugh, if Denis could only have recognised the fact, more full of spite than his Lady’s utmost petulance. “Pray have you heard what I’ve been saying? Oh, you needn’t blink at me like that, Brother Stafford, I’ll say it all over again. I’ll say that my Lady Kilcroney is the most jealous cat in the whole of England. She has left me out of her royal ball, has she? I’m not virtuous enough! What, my Lord, you kissed my wrist on the parade--and if I say it was my wrist, Tom Stafford? I ought to know! and Kitty--oh, the virtuous Kitty!--and her old cross Royal thought to see the kind of shocking spectacle your virtuous people are fond of thinking they see. My Lady was always jealous of poor little me! I don’t care who hears me. I say--hold your tongue, Tom!--’tis a conspiracy, ’tis a scandal. I’ll make Mr. Lafone tell His Royal Highness all about it. I’ll go to law on it. There can’t be more scandal about me than there will be for being the only one of the ladies at Weymouth left out to-morrow night!” Mr. Stafford, who had been glinting at Denis between his bored eyelids, now opened them a fraction wider. “For Heaven’s sake, good lad,” said he, “get her a ticket.” “Get her one yourself.” “My good Kil, your Lady does not even know that I’m in Weymouth.” “Why then, you’ve but got to show yourself. You’re not her husband,” added Kilcroney bitterly. “Not at all!” cried Mr. Stafford, with some energy. “It shall never be said that I have set myself to curry favour with Kitty Kilcroney, more especially since ’tis my own sister-in-law that she’s treating so uncivil. Nay, Kil, I’ll keep out of it. I’m only giving you a bit of advice for your own sake. Get her a ticket. ’Twill save a lot of bother in the end. And I do assure you,” as Denis laughed hollowly, “’Twill have an excellent effect on society generally. There has been far too much fuss about an incident which should have been--ahem!--passed over!” Lord Kilcroney dropped upon the horsehair sofa, which creaked dismally. “And pray,” said he, in a tone of sarcasm, “when you had dealings with my Lady yourself--and you had a few, one way and another--did you find her so easy to manage?”