Міжнародний епізод

           “Oh,ifwecometoLondon,”sheanswered,“Ishouldthinkyouwouldhearofit.”PercyBeaumontreturnedwithhiscousin,andhissenseofdutycompelledhim,onewindlessafternoon,inmid-Atlantic,tosaytoLordLambeththathesuspectedthattheduchess’stelegramwasinparttheresultofsomethinghehimselfhadwrittentoher.“Iwrotetoher—asIexplicitlynotifiedyouIhadpromisedtodo—thatyouwereextremelyinterestedinalittleAmericangirl.”LordLambethwasextremelyangry,andheindulgedforsomemomentsinthesimplelanguageofindignation.ButIhavesaidthathewasareasonableyoungman,andIcangivenobetterproofofitthanthefactthatheremarkedtohiscompanionattheendofhalfanhour,“Youwerequiteright,afterall.Iamverymuchinterestedinher.Only,tobefair,”headded,“youshouldhavetoldmymotheralsothatsheisnot—seriously—interestedinme.”PercyBeaumontgavealittlelaugh.“Thereisnothingsocharmingasmodestyinayoungmaninyourposition.Thatspeechisacapitalproofthatyouaresweetonher.”“Sheisnotinterested—sheisnot!”LordLambethrepeated.“Mydearfellow,”saidhiscompanion,“youareveryfargone.”