‘So you have come back again?’ said Miss Boncassen, laughing.

’Of course I have.  You didn’t suppose I was going to let that fellow get the better of me.  Why should I be turned out because he made an ass of himself?’

‘Who said he made an ass of himself?’

‘But he had; hadn’t he?’

‘No;—­by no means,’ said she after a little pause.

‘Tell me what he had been saying.’

’Indeed I shall do nothing of the kind.  If I told you all he said, then I should have to tell the next man all that you may say.  Would that be fair?’

‘I should not mind,’ said Silverbridge.

’I dare say not, because you have nothing particular to say.  But the principle is the same.  Lawyers and doctors and parsons talk of privileged communications.  Why should not a young lady have her privileged communications?’

‘But I have something particular to say.’

‘I hope not.’

‘Why should you hope not?’

’I hate having things said particularly.  Nobody likes conversation so well as I do; but it should never be particular.’

’I was going to tell you that I came back to London yesterday in the same carriage with old Lady Clanfiddle, and that she swore that no consideration on earth would ever induce her to go to Maidenhead again.’

‘That isn’t particular.’

‘She went on to say;—­you won’t tell of me, will you?’

‘It shall be privileged.’

’She went on to say that Americans couldn’t be expected to understand English manners.’

‘Perhaps they may all be the better for that.’

‘Then I spoke up.  I swore that I was awfully in love with you.’

‘You didn’t.’

’I did;—­that you were, out and away, the finest girl I ever saw in my life.  Of course you understand that her two daughters were there.  And that as for manners,—­unless the rain could be attributed to American manners,—­I did not think anything had gone wrong.’

‘What about the smoking?’

’I told her they were all Englishmen, and that if she had been giving the party herself they would have smoked just as much.  You must understand that she never does give parties.’

‘How could you be so ill-natured?’

’There was ever so much more of it.  And it ended by her telling me that I was a schoolboy.  I found out the cause of it all.  A great spout of rain had come upon her daughter’s hat, and that had produced a most melancholy catastrophe.’

‘I would have given her mine willingly.’

‘An American hat;—­to be worn by Lady Violet Clanfiddle!’

‘It came from Paris last week, sir.’

‘But must have been contaminated by American contact.’

‘Now, Lord Silverbridge,’ said she, getting up, ’if I had a stick I’d whip you.’

‘It was such fun.’

‘And you come here and tell it all to me.’

’Of course I do.  It was a deal too good to keep to myself.  “American manners"!’ As he said this he almost succeeded in looking like Lady Clanfiddle.