“Now will ye be done interrupting, me lady?”

Not a whit abashed, she bit the finger, pushed it away, and folding her hands in her lap, cast her eyes meekly heavenwards.

With a twinkle in his own eyes the Irishman continued:

“Well, alanna, ye must know that yesterday evening I was at Kilroy’s on a matter of business⁠—and that reminds me, Molly, we had a hand or two at faro and the like before I left, and I had very distressing luck⁠—”

On a sudden my lady’s demure air vanished.

“Is that so, Miles? I make no doubt the stakes were prodigious high? Pray, how much have you lost?”

“Whisht, darlin’, ’tis a mere thrifle, I assure you.⁠ ⁠… Well, as I was saying, on me way home, what should happen but that we be held up by one of these highwaymen⁠—”