"Oh dear" she murmured for the third time "darling d'you think we should close the shutters?"
He did not answer but tightened hold, to keep her. At that she leaned a little more against his shoulder.
They had been talking by fits and starts not so much in reply one to the other as to make peaceful, barely related statements which had advanced very little what they presumably meant by everything they said because they now seemed in all things to agree, in comfort in quiet, and rest.
"So you don't fed dearest you should be married in church?" she sighed as though to sum up a long discussion.
"Registry office, or might look ridiculous! At our age" he almost whispered to an ear he could not see.
"However you say" she agreed. There was another pause. "I'll think about it" she added.
"What was that darling?"
"The registry office" she explained.
"I know. Go on" he mumbled, yawning.
"I said I'd think it over, aren't you sweet" she sighed again and silence fell once more. After a long pause she murmured "D'you realize I can hardly believe Mary's given him back the ring, dearest?"
"Which ring?"
"Why the engagement! You're not to fall asleep on me yet" she commanded in her softest voice.
"Yes she did" he murmured "or so she said." He yawned again.
"But Philip's never mentioned a syllable John."
"Can't hardly think Mary'd actually go as far as pawn the object" he muttered.
"Oh darling the poor child could not get much for what it was, would she" and indolently saying this Mrs Weatherby chuckled. "Oh no she simply's not made that way, Mary'd never do such a thing. Now she's gone to dear Myra in Florence, Philip's taken Bethesda out twice, yes twice, two whole times did you know?"
"Never heard of her. Who's she?"
"So unsuitable, dearest, a girl at his work."
"Well Jane" he said with a sort of lowpitched assurance, then yawned a fifth time, "our children will just have to work their own lives out, we can't do everything for them."
She gave no answer. They relapsed into easy silence. After quite an interval he began again.
"But Jane my dear as I've explained before this very evening, I'm worried about your Penelope. I fed I've a real responsibility towards you there darling."
He spoke so softly she could not have heard for she asked, "A real what, my heart?"
"Responsibility, love. Always told you a man about the house is what the child needs. Now just when she's going to have a stepfather you speak of sending her off to ah-" and he yawned yet once more "to one of those sleeping places, how d'you call 'em-" and he Came to an end.
"Boarding schools" she gently prompted.
"Yes-thick ankles-hockey, Jane."
"Oh-no the poor angel, then I'd never allow it" the mother protested comfortably but with a trifle more animation.
"There you are" he mumbled. "Always knew you couldn't send her away-when things came to the. point."
"Oh no" she quietly said "I'd stop her playing those games at school then."
"Expect you know best" he commented, yawning a last time.
There was a longer pause while his eyelids drooped.
"And how's your wicked diabetes my own darling?" she whispered.
"All right" he barely answered.
"And is there anything at all you want my own?"
"Nothing-nothing" he replied in so low a voice she could barely have heard and then seemed to fall deep asleep at last.
The End