So he departed.
There was silence for some minutes after he had gone, for Margaret and the Englishman were old friends, and there was no immediate necessity for making conversation.

At last he spoke with a certain amount of embarrassment.
"I ought to have told you before that I had asked those two men." "Who is the other ?" she inquired without looking up.
"Why, Barker, his friend." "Oh, of course! But it would have been simpler to have told me.

It made it rather awkward, for of course Dr.Claudius thought I knew he was asked and wondered why I did not speak of it.

Don't you see ?" she raised her eyes as she put the question.
"It was idiotic of me, and I am very sorry.

Please forgive me." "As he is not going, it does not make any difference, of course, and so I forgive you." Considering that Barker had suggested the party, that it was Barker whom the Duke especially wanted to amuse him on the trip, that Barker had proposed Margaret and Claudius, and that, finally, the whole affair was a horrid mess, the Duke did not see what he could have done.