"And by the way, Pembroke, what's this I hear about poor Cole getting as tight as Bacchus the other night at The Beeches?"
"Nothing at all," answered Pembroke. He did not mean to say anything about Ahlberg's share in it, considering the relations between them, but the Colonel was too sharp for him.
"Now, Cole wouldn't go and do a thing like that unless he was put up to it. Didn't our friend with the waxed mustache have something to do with it, eh? Oh, yes, I see he did."
Pembroke smiled at the way Colonel Berkeley read his face. Olivia spoke up with spirit.
"Papa, I hate that Mr. Ahlberg. Pray don't have him here any more."
But the Colonel looked quite crestfallen at this. Ahlberg amused him, and life was very, very dull for him.
"I hope you won't insist on that, my dear," he said, and Olivia answered:
"I can't when you look that way."
Much relieved, the Colonel began again. "And Madame Koller, I hear—ha! ha!"
"Papa!"
The note of dreadful warning in Olivia's voice vexed Pembroke. But he could not explain and she would not understand.
Afterward, the two brothers walking along briskly toward home, Miles said:
"Do you know I believe Ahlberg is making love to Olivia on the sly!"
