Placed on Diana's left at table, he gave her much voluble
information about her neighbors, mostly ill-natured; he spoke familiarly
of "that clever chap Marsham," as of a politician who owed his election
for the division entirely to the good offices of Mr. Fred Birch's firm,
and described Lady Lucy as "an old dear," though very "frowsty" in her
ideas. He was strongly of opinion that Marsham should find an heiress as
soon as possible, for there was no saying how "long the old lady would
see him out of his money," and everybody knew that at present "she kept
him beastly short." "As for me," the speaker wound up, with an engaging
and pensive _naivete_, "I've talked to him till I'm tired."
At last he was headed away from Tallyn and its owners, only to fall into
a rapturous debate with Fanny over a racing bet which seemed to have
been offered and taken on the journey which first made them acquainted.
Fanny had lost, but the young man gallantly excused her.
"No--no, couldn't think of it! Not till next time. Then--my word!--I'll
come down upon you--won't I? Teach you to know your way about--eh?"
Loud laughter from Fanny, who professed to know her way about already.
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