human
Qu'elle est mignonne, cette petite, n'est ce pas, Mam'selle?
gpt
If she heard you calling her 'petite' she would smack your 'ead, vieux grandpère, said Mademoiselle.
human
I know her. And I have told you that you need not speak French. You are not so ready with it when you don't want to make a show off.
gpt
I'd offer you a cigarette in the governor's room, said Jimmy after lunch,
human
The Governor asked me not to smoke till I'm a bit older, said Young George,
gpt
If you don't I won't,
human
I won't tell anybody,
gpt
It isn't that, said Jimmy.
human
As a matter of fact I've been overdoing it a bit lately. Do me good to pull up a bit. I only suggested it to keep you company.
gpt
You know all the people living about here better than I do! What do you think of the Manserghs?
human
Old Mansergh's a grumpy old varmint, said Jimmy.
gpt
Bit of a flyer in his youth. Of course _she_ isn't out of the top drawer, as anybody can see. She's a good-natured old thing though, wherever he picked her up. She always wants to stuff my pockets with chocolate creams, even now. I like the old thing.
human
So do I, said Young George.
gpt
She isn't Dick's or Geoffrey's mother, though. What do you think of Dick?
human
Not a bad sort of fellow by any means, said Jimmy,
gpt
He's always been very decent to me.
human
Ah, that's because he's after B. You feel like that, you know, towards the brother of a girl you've taken a fancy to. I was always particularly careful to make myself pleasant to Bertie Pemberton. I shan't take so much trouble about it now, though he's not a bad chap either.
gpt
You've spotted it, then!
human
My dear fellow, it's as plain as the nose on your face,
gpt
Well, I only did yesterday. How can you have spotted it? You've hardly ever seen them together.
human
I saw quite enough, last holidays. The first thing I asked Vera when I came home this time was: 'How's that little affair between Dick Mansergh and B Grafton going?'
gpt
Oh, then it was Vera who told you! You do give yourself airs of knowing every damn thing, Jimmy. It makes one think twice about consulting you on anything.
human
I was half pulling your leg, said Jimmy, with unwonted meekness.
gpt
As a matter of fact I did notice him paying a lot of attention to B, as long ago as last Christmas, when we had our play. She looked topping that night; I could hardly keep my eyes off her. If I hadn't been paying attention myself in another quarter--
human
It would be rather a good sort of marriage for her, said Young George.
gpt
Wilborough is a jolly place, and it's only three miles from Abington. It would be jolly if she were to marry him and go and live there. We should see a lot of her.
human
There's one thing I will say about you, George, you're a jolly good brother to your sisters. I admire you for it. Other fellows' sisters are all very well, but it isn't many chaps who think such a lot of their own as you do. I've half a mind to take a leaf out of your book, and make a bit of a fuss of mine. They're not so good-looking as yours, but they're not so bad. I thought Vera had improved a good lot when I came home.
gpt
I think they're a very good-looking crowd, he said perfunctorily.
human
What I can't make out is whether B has taken to _him_ or not.
gpt
Ah, poor little girl! said Jimmy sapiently.
human
She was knocked over by that affair last year. I don't suppose she's ready for it again yet.
gpt
Well, you do know something, after all. That's just what Caroline said when I asked her.
human
What, that she wasn't ready for it? You see, George, a girl's first affair is pretty serious with her. One or two of 'em have told me that. Of course she thinks it's the only one, and if she doesn't marry the fellow she'll never forget him, or care for anybody else, and all that sort of thing. When she's jolly well _got_ to forget him, like B, she still goes on thinking that it can't happen to her again.
gpt
H'm! said Young George reflectively.
human
I'm not quite sure that B isn't waking up. I'll tell you something if you'll swear not to repeat it.
gpt
I didn't tell Caroline. I thought I'd pump her first. But she wasn't giving much away.
human
Women stick by one another,
gpt
Well, he rode over to lunch yesterday, and I _know_ he meant to stay for the afternoon, though he didn't actually say so. The Governor was up in London, and Caroline and the Dragon had gone over to lunch with Mollie Pemberton. Well, they made it pretty plain they didn't want me with them afterwards. B was as nice as possible about it--she always is decent with me--but--well, I needn't spin it out, but they went into the garden, and I found myself left.
human
Wait a minute, said Jimmy.
gpt
Let's get it straight. It was B who got rid of you.
human
Well, Dick did ask me if I'd be kind enough to take a message up to Worthing for him, but--yes, it was she who got me off.
gpt
Did you go up to Worthing?
human
No, I knew he was over at Wilborough. He's agent there too, you know. I rather think Dick knew it as well as I did.
gpt
Ah!
human
Then B asked me to be an angel and bring her some work she'd been doing, which was in the Long Gallery. So I went up there and couldn't find it, though I hunted about everywhere. At last I found it in her bedroom.
gpt
You're jolly good to your sisters, George.
human
Oh, well, they're very decent to me. I took it out, and they weren't anywhere to be seen.
gpt
No, I suppose not. Well, if you ask me, I think it's a pretty clear case.
human
I haven't told you everything yet. I didn't quite know what to do with myself, so I thought I'd go exploring. There are lots of funny attics and places up in the roof. I found a rummy little place I'd never seen before, where I shouldn't wonder if priests usen't to hide.
gpt
Anything in it?
human
Only a dead bat. I suppose I was up there about half an hour. I'd got pretty mucky, and was just brushing some of it off by a little window, when I saw Dick coming out of the stables on his horse. I didn't see his face, but he looked as if he was waxy.
gpt
That would be, what--an hour after lunch?
human
Yes, I should think about. Well, I came down the stairs from the attics into the corridor that goes round that corner, and there was B standing just behind the curtain of the window looking out after him.
gpt
Did she see you?
human
Yes, of course. She was awfully annoyed, and said I'd given her a fright.
gpt
What was her face like?
human
Well, to tell you the truth, I was so surprised at the way she slanged me that I didn't take much notice--except afterwards, and then I thought it was all jolly rum, and that there must have been something else. And she was so decent about it afterwards, and said she was sorry she'd spoken to me like that, and asked me not to tell the others.
gpt
Ah! said Jimmy.
human
That tells a tale.
gpt
Well, what do you think about it?
human
I think I'll have a cigarette, after all, said Jimmy.
gpt
It helps you to think.