He was anything but free, for was he not engaged for that evening to Miss Poppy Grace?
He was pulled two ways, a hard pull.

He admired Jewdwine with simple, hero-worshipping fervour; but he also admired Miss Poppy Grace.

Again, he shrank from mentioning an engagement of that sort to Jewdwine, while, on the other hand concealment was equally painful, being foreign to his nature.
So he flushed a little as he replied, "Thanks awfully, I'm afraid I can't.

I'm booked that night to Poppy Grace." The flush deepened.

Besides his natural sensitiveness on the subject of Miss Poppy Grace, he suffered tortures not wholly sentimental whenever he had occasion to mention her by her name.