"Course I am."
"And you think he was your uncle? So did I till a few days ago.
Well, Polly, he wasn't. Lord P. didn't know you from Adam, nor your
aunt either."
He chuckled, and ate voraciously. The artifice seemed to him better
and better, enjoyment of it gave him a prodigious appetite.
"If you'll get on with your eating I'll tell you about it. Do you
remember what I told you about the fellow Quodling in the City?
Well, listen to this. Lord P. had another brother knocking
about--you understand, a brother--like Quodling, who had no name of
his own. And this brother, Polly, is your uncle Clover."
Miss Sparkes did not fail to understand, but she at once and utterly
declined to credit the statement.
"You mean to say it wasn't Lord P. at all as I met--as I saw at the
theatre?"
"You saw his illegitimate brother, your uncle, and never Lord P. at
all. Now just listen. This fellow who called himself Clover is a
precious rascal. We don't know as much about him as we'd like to,
but I dare say we shall find out more. How did he come to be sitting
with those ladies in the theatre, you're wanting to ask? Simple
enough.
Pages:
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318