"And you don't want to?" I exclaimed eagerly. "Well, one must talk to somebody," she said, arching her eyebrows. "It's all very well for my aunt. She's left her children at home. That's happiness enough for her. But that don't make things equally lively for me." "Your language is frank," I said laughingly. "Yes, that's one of the languages you've forgotten how to speak in this old country." Again that musical ripple of mirth. Her fascination was fast enswathing me like another Jones, only a thousandfold more sweetly. Already I found her twang delightful, lending the last touch of charm to her original utterances. I looked up suddenly, and saw the Infant and Towers glaring enviously at me from the other end of the table. Then I was quite happy. True, they had the sprightly O'Rafferty between them, but he did not seem to console them--rather to chaff them. "Ho! ho!" I roared, when we reached our sitting-room that night. "There's virtue in the peerage after all." "Shut up!" the Infant snarled. "If you think you're going to annex that ripping creature, I warn you that bloated aristocracy will have to settle up for its marble halls. We're running this thing by syndicate, remember." "Yes, but this isn't part of the profits," I urged defiantly. "Oh, isn't it?" put in Towers. "Why do you suppose Jones sat her next to you, if not as a prerogative of nobility?" "Well, but if I can get her to go out with me alone, that's a private transaction." "No go, Teddy," said the Infant. "We don't allow you to play for your own hand." "Or hers," added Towers. "While you were spooning, Jones was telling us all about her. Her name's Harper--Ethelberta Harper, and her old man is a Railway King, or something." "She's a queen--I don't care of what!" I said fervently. "We got very chummy, and I'm going to take her for a row to-morrow morning. It's not my fault if she doesn't pal on to you." "Stow that cant!" cried the Infant. "Either you surrender her to the syndicate or pay your own exes. Choose!" "Well, I'll compromise!" I said desperately. "No, you don't! It's to prevent your compromising her we want to stand in. We'll all go for that row." "No, listen to my suggestion. I'll invite her to lunch after the row, and I'll invite you fellows to meet her." "But how do you know she'll come?" said Towers. "She will if I ask her aunt too." "Scoundrel, you've asked them both already!" cried the Infant. "Where's the compromise?" "I hadn't asked _you_ already," I reminded him. "No, but now you propose to use the capital of the syndicate!" he rejoined sharply. "Nothing of the kind," I retorted rashly.