“The man must be mad,” said Lord Caterham. “No one could write those things about you, Bundle, unless they were slightly touched in the head. Poor chap, poor chap. But what persistence! I don’t wonder he got into the Cabinet. It would serve him right if you did marry him, Bundle.”
The telephone rang and Bundle moved forward to answer it. In another minute George and his proposal were forgotten, and she was beckoning eagerly to Loraine. Lord Caterham went off to his own sanctum.
“It’s Jimmy,” said Bundle. “And he’s tremendously excited about something.”
“Thank goodness I’ve caught you,” said Jimmy’s voice. “There’s no time to be lost. Loraine’s there, too?”
“Yes, she’s here.”
“Well, look here, I haven’t got time to explain everything—in fact, I can’t through the telephone. But Bill has been round to see me with the most amazing story you ever heard. If it’s true—well, if it’s true, it’s the biggest scoop of the century. Now, look here, this is what you’ve got to do. Come up to town at once, both of you. Garage the car somewhere and go straight to the Seven Dials Club. Do you think that when you get there you can get rid of that footman fellow?”
“Alfred? Rather. You leave that to me.”
“Good. Get rid of him and watch out for me and Bill. Don’t show yourselves at the windows, but when we drive up, let us in at once. See?”
“Yes.”
“That’s all right then. Oh, Bundle, don’t let on that you’re going up to town. Make some other excuse. Say you’re taking Loraine home. How would that do?”