Kennedy had been to him, he would probably make himself much
more disagreeable to his wife. And, for himself, he thought that he
had got out of the scrape very well by the exhibition of a little
mock anger.
CHAPTER LIX
The Earl's Wrath
The reader may remember that a rumour had been conveyed to
Phineas,--a rumour indeed which reached him from a source which he
regarded as very untrustworthy,--that Violet Effingham had quarrelled
with her lover. He would probably have paid no attention to the
rumour, beyond that which necessarily attached itself to any tidings
as to a matter so full of interest to him, had it not been repeated
to him in another quarter. "A bird has told me that your Violet
Effingham has broken with her lover," Madame Goesler said to him one
day. "What bird?" he asked. "Ah, that I cannot tell you. But this I
will confess to you, that these birds which tell us news are seldom
very credible,--and are often not very creditable, You must take
a bird's word for what it may be worth. It is said that they have
quarrelled. I daresay, if the truth were known, they are billing and
cooing in each other's arms at this moment."
Phineas did not like to be told of their billing and cooing,--did
not like to be told even of their quarrelling.
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