"And how is the great inventor?" he inquired facetiously.
"As usual," responded Dido, "quite well and very busy."
"Is luncheon ready? for I'm as hungry as a hawk," he said. "I hope you have got something decent to-day. None of your bacon and eggs! Mind, Helen, you don't let them starve you, they are by no means liberal with their butcher's meat," and he laughed uproariously, and evidently considered that he had said something exquisitely witty.
"We always have meat on Sundays," said Dido sarcastically, as she led the way to an excellent repast in the dining-room.
When Barry had taken the edge off his appetite, which he compassed in a manner that excited Helen's disgust, he looked across at her, and said abruptly,—
"What's the name of those islands you were at?"
"The Andamans."
"You had fine times; twenty men to one girl, and no end of tennis and parties; it's the other way about here," grinning complacently, "twenty girls to one man, and no parties, balls, or fun of any kind."
"I was only at one dance all the time I was at Port Blair."
"Port Blair! now i have it!" suddenly laying down his knife and fork, and speaking in a loud, exultant tone, "I thought i had heard of the place somewhere. Girls, I'll tell you who was at those islands for months, old Redmond's nephew! I say, Helen, did you ever come across a fellow, of the name of Lisle?"