But Lydia again looked obstinate, though she ventured a little plea of her own.
"Jeff, you must go into politics."
"Not on your life."
"The way is all prepared."
"Who prepared it? Madame Beattie?"
"You are going," said Lydia, this irrepressibly and against her judgment, "to be the most popular man in Addington."
"Gammon!" This he didn't think very much of. If this was how Lydia and Madame Beattie spent their hours of talk, let them, the innocents. It did nobody harm. But he was still conscious of a strong desire: to protect Lydia, in her child's innocence, from evil. He wondered if she were not busy enough, that she had time to take up Madame Beattie. Yet she and Anne seemed as industrious as little ants.
"Lydia," said he, "what if I should have an Italian fruit-seller come up here to the house and teach Italian to you and me—and maybe Anne?"
"Andrea?" she asked.
"Do you know him?"