He had returned to the indulgent, encouraging schoolmaster’s tone.
“Do you know In the Orchard?” he went on, and murmured: “Ah God, ah God! that day should be so soon! Well! May I smoke a cigarette?”
“Oh, of course.”
“Oh … Madeline!”
“Yes, Mr. Denison?”
“Who is Nigel Hillier?”
“Oh, don’t you know him?”
“Of course I know him; we belong to the same club, and that sort of thing, but that doesn’t tell me who he is.”
She was wondering what Rupert meant exactly by who, but supposed he was speaking socially, so she said hesitatingly:
“Well, Nigel Hillier … he married that Miss——”