a miserable gaze at the bundle of clothes and the general situation at
the same time. 'Unfortunately for her friendship, I have snubbed her two
or three times already, for I don't care about her manner. You know she
has a way of trading on a man's sense of honour till it puts him into an
awkward position. She is perfectly well aware that, whatever scrape I
find her out in, I shall not have the conscience to report her, because I
am a man, and she is a defenceless woman; and so she takes advantage of
one's feeling by making me, or either of the menservants, her
bottle-holder, as you see she has done now.'

'This is all simply dreadful,' said Ethelberta. 'Joey is shrewd and
trustworthy; but in the hands of such a woman as that! I suppose she did
not recognize me.'

'There was no chance of that in the dark.'

'Well, I cannot do anything in it,' said she. 'I cannot manage Joey at
all.'

'I will see if I can,' said Mr. Chickerel. 'Courting at his age,
indeed--what shall we hear next!'

Chickerel then accompanied his daughter along the street till an empty
cab passed them, and putting her into it he returned to the house again.




29. ETHELBERTA'S DRESSING-ROOM--MR. DONCASTLE'S HOUSE