At that moment Fanny re-entered from the kitchen. Cheerfully she exclaimed:
"Dinner's all ready to put on, but I'll get you a cup of tea first!" Pointing to the wet rubbers, she made a significant gesture to her husband. "Jimmie!"
Docilely he picked up the rubbers and proceeded as before in the direction of the bathroom. Virginia looked at her sister gratefully.
"You're very good to me."
"Don't be silly!" exclaimed Fanny, as she busied Herself setting the table.
Virginia smiled.
"You're the best sister in the world!" she murmured.
"No, I'm not, you are!" Cheerily, as her husband reappeared, she added:
"Now you sit still and talk to Jim while I get the tea ready."
She went out and the clerk carelessly took a chair. This was his opportunity. He could hardly hope for a better one. After a brief pause he said sympathetically: