He no longer dreaded him on his own account, but on Percy's he looked forward to Saturday with dismay.

He would have liked to know also, as a mere matter of curiosity of course, what Raby thought about the promised visit.
His own communications with that young lady had not been very frequent of late, although they continued friendly.

Percy's nonsense gave them both a considerable amount of embarrassment; for although Jeffreys never for a moment supposed that Mr Rimbolt's niece thought twice about him except as a persecuted dependant and a friend to Percy, to have anything else suggested disturbed his shy nature, and made him feel constrained in her presence.
"You'll have to mind your eye with Raby now that Scarfe's coming," said Percy that night.

"You bet he'll try to hook her.

I heard his mother flying kites with ma about it, to see how the land lies." Jeffreys had given up the formality of pretending, when Percy launched out on this delicate subject, not to know what he was talking about.
"Whatever Scarfe does," said he, "is nothing to me." "What I don't you and Raby hit it off, then ?" "Hit what off ?" "I mean aren't you dead on her, don't you know ?--spoons, and all that sort of thing ?" "I am not aware that I entertain feelings towards anybody which could be described by any article of cutlery at all." "Well, all I can say is, when I blowed her up for being down on you, she blushed up no end, and cried too.