“Are not transactions of that kind rather disagreeable, with a lady whose hospitality one has been enjoying?” Mr Vetch inquired.
“Exceedingly! That is exactly why I shall do the books and then take no money.”
“Your princess is rather clever!” the fiddler exclaimed, in a moment, smiling.
“Well, she can’t force me to take it if I won’t,” said Hyacinth.
“You have curious ideas about me,” the young man declared.
Mr Vetch turned about to the window again, remarking that he had curious ideas about everything. Then he added, after an interval—
“And have you been making love to your great lady?”
He had expected a flash of impatience in reply to this inquiry, and was rather surprised at the manner in which Hyacinth answered: “How shall I explain? It is not a question of that sort.”
“If you should ever see her you would understand how absurd that supposition is.”
“How shall I ever see her?” returned Mr Vetch. “In the absence of that privilege I think there is something in my idea.”
“She looks quite over my head,” said Hyacinth, simply. “It’s by no means impossible you may see her. She wants to know my friends, to know the people who live in the Place. And she would take a particular interest in you, on account of your opinions.”
“Ah, I have no opinions now, none any more!” the old man broke out, sadly. “I only had them to frighten Pinnie.”
“She was easily frightened,” said Hyacinth.
“Yes, and easily reassured. Well, I like to know about your life,” his neighbour sighed, irrelevantly. “But take care the great lady doesn’t lead you too far.”
“Isn’t she an anarchist—a nihilist? Doesn’t she go in for a general rectification, as Eustace calls it?”
Hyacinth was silent a moment. “You should see the place—you should see what she wears, what she eats and drinks.”
“Ah, you mean that she is inconsistent with her theories? My dear boy, she would be a droll woman if she were not. At any rate, I’m glad of it.”
“For you, I mean, when you stay with her; it’s more luxurious!” Mr Vetch exclaimed, turning round and smiling. At this moment a little rap on the floor above, given by Lady Aurora, announced that Hyacinth might at last come up and see Pinnie. Mr Vetch listened and recognised it, and it led him to say, with considerable force, “_There’s_ a woman whose theories and conduct do square!”