Page:The Other House (London, William Heinemann, 1896), Volume 2.djvu/31

Rh unsought had been forced upon her. "I know about poor Paul. It's all right about poor Paul," she declared, smiling.

She spoke and she looked at him with a sincerity so distilled, as he felt, from something deep within her that to pretend to gainsay her would be in the worst taste. He turned about, not very brilliantly, as he was aware, to some other resource. "You'll immensely disappoint your own people."

"Yes, my mother and my grandmother—they both would like it. But they've never had any promise from me."

Tony was silent awhile. "And Mrs. Beever—hasn't she had?"

"A promise? Never. I've known how much she has wanted it. But that's all."

"Ah, that's a great deal," said Tony. "If, knowing how much she has wanted it, you've come back again and again, hasn't that been tantamount to giving it?"

Jean considered. "I shall never come back again."

"Ah, my dear child, what a way to treat us!" her friend broke out.