“Middling. He has his uses, and—he hasn’t.”
“Well, I shouldn’t find any use for him for long. It’s all I can do to stand that dashed commandeering way of his, and ‘haw-haw’ swagger, as it is. Been down there since you got back? But of course you have,” he added with a knowing laugh. “I say though, but doesn’t it seem a sin to bury two splendid looking girls in an out-of-the-way place like this?”
“Don’t know about that. At any rate I propose to bury one of them in just such an out-of-the-way place,” I answered. “I believe it’s the thing to offer congratulations on these occasions, so congratulate away, Kendrew. I’ll try and take it calmly.”
“Eh—what the dev— Oh I say, Glanton—You don’t mean—?”
“Yes, I do mean. Compose yourself, Kendrew. You look kind of startled.”
“Which of them is it?”
“Guess,” I said, on mischief intent, for I detected a note of eagerness in his tone and drew my own conclusions.
“The eldest of course?”
“Right,” I answered after a moment of hesitation intended to tease him a little longer.
“Why then, I do congratulate you, old chap,” he said with a heartiness in which I thought his own relief found vent. “I say though. You haven’t lost much time about it.”