Page:The Other House (London, William Heinemann, 1896), Volume 1.djvu/32

18 none the less, with a kind of foreign charm in it. "Why, the very first person was of course his poor little wife."

"But I'm not to see her, am I?" Jean rather eagerly asked, puzzled by the manner of the allusion and but half suspecting it to be a part of her informant's general ease.

"You're not to see her, but even if you were she wouldn't hurt you for it," this young lady replied. "She understands his friendly way and likes above all his beautiful frankness."

Jean's bewilderment began to look as if she too now, as she remembered, understood and liked these things. It might have been in confirmation of what was in her mind that she presently said: "He told me I might see the wonderful baby. He told me he would show it to me himself."

"I'm sure he'll be delighted to do that. He's awfully proud of the wonderful baby."

"I suppose it's very lovely," Jean remarked with growing confidence.

"Lovely! Do you think babies are ever lovely?"

Taken aback by this challenge, Jean reflected a little; she found, however, nothing better to say