"He does seem to tag after Shiela....

Once or twice I thought--or it seemed to me--or rather--" His wife waited.
"Well, he seemed rather impressed by her field qualities," concluded Cardross weakly.
His wife waited.
Her husband lit a cigar very carefully: "That's all I noticed, dear." Mrs.Cardross laid the narrow bit of woven blue silk on her knee and smoothed it reflectively.
"Neville!" "Yes, dear." "I wonder whether Mr.Hamil has heard." Her husband did not misunderstand.

"I think it likely.

That old harridan--" "_Please_, Neville!" "Well, then, Mrs.Van Dieman has talked ever since you and Shiela sat on the aspirations of her impossible son." "You think Mr.Hamil knows ?" "Why not?
Everybody does, thanks to that venomous old lady and her limit of an offspring." "And in spite of that you think Mr.Hamil might be seriously impressed ?" "Why not ?" repeated Cardross.

"She's the sweetest, cleanest-cut sportsman--" [Illustration: "Examining the pile of plans, reports, and blue-prints."] "Dear, a field-trial is not what we are discussing." "No, of course.