Perhaps she was planning to have all the little Simpkins kids up to the house.
Well, if Helen spent Christmas with the Dalmains, she would come in for little Geoff's Christmas-tree, which would certainly be a beauty.
He plodded heavily on.

He felt extraordinarily lonely.

Would Helen miss him?
Hardly.

You do not miss a selfish person.

He would miss Helen--horribly; but then Helen was not selfish.