“Fie on you, Molly, for a spoilsport! Here had I fooled Miles to the top of my bent⁠—and ’pon rep.! he scarce knows me yet!”

My lady disengaged herself, blushing.

“Oh, Miles, you do know Harry⁠—my cousin Harry?”

O’Hara collected his scattered wits and rose nobly to the occasion.

“Of course I do, me dear, though at first he gave me such a shock, I was near dumbfounded. Ye are a mad, scatterbrained fellow to play such a thrick upon us, devil take ye!” He laid his hands on Jack’s shoulders. “Pray, what did ye do it for, boy?”

Jack’s brain worked swiftly.