"Yes," he replied, suddenly recollecting the object of his mission. "It's just that that I've come about. You see he's awfully conscientious, and when he's thought things over a bit, helped by my aunt's amiable suggestions, he'll come to the conclusion that he ought to marry you, you know--and so--well, he'll try to do it," he ended lamely, hoping she would see the point without further elucidation on his part.
"And you don't think that's just the best way for him to have a good time? Sour grapes--eh, my son?"
"No, no; only he's certain to propose to you."
"I don't quite see how you could--under the circumstances."
"Oh, he'd only had two bottles of champagne," she said, purposely misunderstanding him from pure joy of seeing him flounder.
"I didn't mean that," he went on. "But, anyway, his conscience will reassert itself, and he'll probably propose again this morning--ponderously."
"I'm sure you'd make a most charming step-mamma," he replied, "only--"
"Only the--the others might object, mightn't they?"
"All the men you've married," he blurted out, "if you will have it."
"I see," she said meditatively. "And you don't want to run the 'dear Bishop' in for another scandal."
"Of course, if you choose to put it that way--"
"It's the way you'd put it if you only had the pluck," she retorted.
"Are you awfully angry with me?" he asked, looking at her.
"Not a bit," she replied. "From your point of view it's quite justifiable, I suppose, and I'm only considering the best way out of the dilemma."
"There's only one that I care to choose."
"You see," she continued calmly, ignoring his interruption, "if I marry some one at once your father can't have any feeling of--shall we say responsibility? And it'll not be necessary for me to go into what Miss Matilda would call 'my shameful past.'"
"Oh, I'm not going to marry you either, so you needn't be alarmed. Can't you make some suggestions to help me out?"
"I am afraid you must excuse me," he said, fast becoming scandalised at her matter-of-fact way of approaching the subject.
"Well, of course," she went on thoughtfully, "there are all your father's chaplains, but they're young, and prone to take things seriously. No, I don't think they'd do. And there's the butler. No, he wouldn't answer, either."