You don't like Simpkins. I am not going into
the reasons for your dislike. They may be sound, or they may be the
reverse. I simply state the fact that you don't get on with the man.
Very well. I don't get on with Miss King. I told you the other day
that I offended her, and she was what I should call extremely rude to
me afterwards. But do I bring that up as a reason why you should not
take her for a sail in the _Spindrift_? Certainly not. It won't, as a
matter of fact, be particularly pleasant for me having to sit in the
same boat all day with a young woman who won't speak to me; but I'm
prepared to sacrifice myself and do it. And you ought to be ready to
do the same thing in the case of Simpkins."
"I'm not," said the Major. "I can't and won't have Simpkins."
"My dear Major, don't you see that your quarrel with Simpkins is one of
the strongest points in the whole plan? He won't speak to you when he
sees that you dislike him. Miss King won't speak to me. What will the
consequence be? Why, of course, they'll be thrown together. They must
talk to each other, and that's exactly what we want them to do. If
Simpkins was a friend of yours, and if Miss King was particularly fond
of me, there'd be no use our taking them out at all.
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