"We have been speaking of a reckless young gentleman, who is an acquaintance of ours.

If what I hear is true, he has already become public property; his adventures have found their way into some of the newspapers." Here, if Mrs.Vimpany had answered Hugh's expectations, she ought to have asked who the young gentleman was.

She merely listened in polite silence.
With a woman's quickness of perception, Iris saw that Mountjoy had not only pounced on his opportunity prematurely, but had spoken with a downright directness of allusion which must at once have put such a ready-witted person as Mrs.Vimpany on her guard.

In trying to prevent him from pursuing his unfortunate experiment in social diplomacy, Iris innocently repeated Mountjoy's own mistake.

She, too, seized her opportunity prematurely.