"I should think he'd be half off his head with delight," said Young George. "I say, Jimmy, there's something I want to consult you about. Barbara has written to me about it, and she says I can." "I shall be pleased to give you my advice, George. Her, too, if she wants it. How did she--er--put it--that she wanted it." "Oh, she said: 'I don't mind your telling that little ass, Jimmy, and see what he thinks,' or something of that sort. She didn't mean anything by it." "Oh, no. I don't mind. It's the way we treat each other. Well, what's the trouble, old man?" Young George told him. "Ah," said Jimmy sapiently. "I've been wondering how long it would be before you tumbled to that. It's the talk of the county." "Do you mean that, or is it only swank because you always see everything--generally before it happens?" "My dear chap, I can only tell you your Governor went out for a walk with her the moment after Caroline had gone away, and fixed it up then. If you don't believe me, ask him." "Oh, that's rot. Caroline was married over two months ago. If he had fixed it up then we should have known about it by this time." "They agreed to keep it to themselves for a bit. You'll hear soon enough." "Did my Governor tell you that, or Ella Carruthers?" "There's no need to play the ass, George. Everybody knows it's settled. Vera mentioned it in the last letter she wrote to me. Mrs. Carruthers has gone up to London, to be near your Governor. He's working rather hard at present, and can't be at Abington as much as he was." Young George knew that his father was rather tied to the Bank, as two of his partners were away. Jimmy's knowledge of this fact impressed him. "Is she keen on him?" he asked. "Thinks about nobody else." "How can you possibly know that? I wish you'd chuck pretending to be God Almighty, and just be little Jimmy Beckley. Barbara wants to know what we think, and what's really happening." "Well, she's come to the right quarter then. I haven't said anything before, because I didn't know you'd tumbled to it. But I do know more about it than most. There's a cousin of ours who is dead keen on her, and she won't look at him." "Who is he?" "He's Sir John Ambleside--on my mother's side of the family. He's in the Scots Guards, and has just come back from India, where he's been A.D.C. to some Governor fellow. He hasn't got much money, so of course all our lot are rather keen on it, as she's supposed to have a good deal. But, as I say, she won't look at him, because of your Governor." "Is he young?"