It's more pleasant to avoid it, isn't it?'
'I don't know what you mean,' I said.
'Don't you?' he said.
'Oh, come, you don't expect me to believe that, do you?
Tell me, are you feeling better?
Too bad fainting like that at the inquest this afternoon.
I would have come and helped you out but I saw you had one knight-errant already.
I bet Frank Crawley enjoyed himself.
Did you let him drive you home?
You wouldn't let me drive you five yards when I offered to.'
'What do you want to see Maxim about?' I asked.
Favell leant forward to the table and helped himself to a cigarette.
'You don't mind my smoking, I suppose?' he said, 'it won't make you sick, will it?
One never knows with brides.'
He watched me over his lighter.
'You've grown up a bit since I saw you last, haven't you?' he said.
'I wonder what you have been doing.
Leading Frank Crawley up the garden path?'
He blew a cloud of smoke in the air.
'I say, do you mind asking old Frith to get me a whisky and soda?'
I did not say anything.
I went and rang the bell. He sat down on the edge of the sofa, swinging his legs, that half-smile on his lips.
Robert answered the bell.
'A whisky and soda for Mr Favell,' I said.
'Well, Robert?' said Favell,
'I haven't seen you for a very long time.
Still breaking the hearts of the girls in Kerrith?'
Robert flushed.
He glanced at me, horribly embarrassed.
'All right, old chap, I won't give you away.
Run along and get me a double whisky, and jump on it.'
Robert disappeared.
Favell laughed, dropping ash all over the floor.
'I took Robert out once on his half-day,' he said.
'Rebecca bet me a fiver I wouldn't ask him.
I won my fiver all right.
Spent one of the funniest evenings of my life.
Did I laugh? Oh, boy!
Robert on the razzle takes a lot of beating, I tell you.
I must say he's got a good eye for a girl. He picked the prettiest of the bunch we saw that night.'
Robert came back again with the whisky and soda on a tray.
He still looked very red, very uncomfortable.
Favell watched him with a smile as he poured out his drink, and then he began to laugh, leaning back on the arm of the sofa.
He whistled the bar of a song, watching Robert all the while.
'That was the one, wasn't it?' he said, 'that was the tune?
Do you still like ginger hair, Robert?'
Robert gave him a flat weak smile.
He looked miserable.
Favell laughed louder still.
Robert turned and went out of the room.