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“Don’t rateful to you—was a splendid notion you had of getting up a party to go to the theater But I know you, and I have this gut feeling that so me to Bristol just because you wanted to help me with Sophy There is another reason”

“Hang it all, man That is very bad of you, IKate that the moon is the sun and the sun theofferedyou further yourself in Sophy’s eyes”

“Gammon!” Percy replied, unashamed “Wait a minute—by Jove and damn, why didn’t I see it sooner?” He slapped his knee jovially “’Tis the Winthrop chit, isn’t it? You have made a push to have her, and she won’t have you Well, that stands to reason You can’t offer a vicar’s daughter a carte blanche and think she will jump at the chance, now can you?”

“Go to the devil,” the marquis said amiably

“Hold a ? You did—you did, and she refused, ith the local doctor instead—that fellow Bankes, who by the way I found too … I am not sure what the word is, but don’t like him”

“She had already been asked by Bankes, who had the forethought to invite her entire class He was quite above board in his attentions”

“Jealous! That is what it is You are jealous Damn if it isn’t written all over your face”

“It pains ain, but you leave me no choice Go To The Devil”

“Well, look at that, the libertine Marquis of Dartmour, struck down by a sweet lovely But, Justin, you cannot expect constancy from a chit you don’t even really know?”

“Constancy? What is that, and what hteenth year expects it?” The marquis scoffed

“You did as I recall”

“Yes, I did—did being the word At eighteen, I did expect it—at nineteen I knew better Much better” The marquis folded his arms across his chest and put on an expression of boredom

“Yes, but—”

The marquis cut hih to shatter a man’s soul and scatter it to the winds without so ht”

“And yet, old friend, you have a knack of collecting them—females,” Percy said dryly