You might also save Barbara and myself from nerve-racking questions." "All right, I'll go," he said.
The interview was only fairly successful.

He told her that the book would be published as soon as possible.
"When will that be ?" she asked.
Jaffery seemed to be as vague as myself.
"Is it in the printer's hands ?" "Not yet." "Why ?" He explained that Adrian had practically finished the novel; but here and there it needed the little trimming and tacking together, which Adrian would have done had he lived to revise the manuscript.

He himself was engaged on this necessary though purely mechanical task of revision.
"I quite agree," said Doria to this, "that Adrian's work could not be given out in an imperfect state.

But there can't be very much to do, so why are you taking all this time over it ?" "I'm afraid I've been rather busy," said he.
Which tactless, though I admit unavoidable, reply did not greatly please Doria.

When she saw Barbara, to whom she related this conversation, she complained of Jaffery's unfeeling conduct.