“Julietta,” he responded, “you sound like a testimonial banquet. I hope you’ll convince my wife, though.”
“She’d be the last to need convincing,” Julietta returned. “Wouldn’t you, Mrs. Simms?”
“I might be,” Anne replied, dryly. “Hobart, I think you’d better run and tell John he’s keeping us all waiting.”
But the absent gentleman returned before his brother-in-law, moving to obey, could go in search of him; and he came with a key in his hand. “There, Julietta, if you’ll be so kind as to use this——”
“You dear man!” she cried, enthusiastically. “Now just for that I’m going to forgive you for making me laugh so hard, and we’ll finish that game to-morrow, because Hobart didn’t play it out with us to-day. Don’t you think we could all three be here a wee bit earlier to-morrow—say by four o’clock?”
At this, Mildred Tower turned to her sister in an almost visible appeal for help; and Anne hurriedly endeavoured to respond with the succour besought. “So far as Mr. Simms is concerned——” she began; but Tower, unaware that she was speaking, had already accepted Julietta’s invitation.
“Delightful,” he said, bowing. “Julietta, that will be delightful. I shall be here by four o’clock promptly. Thank you for thinking of it.”
“You’ll be sure to come, too, Hobart?” Julietta asked.
Hobart’s wife began again, and her tone was emphatic. “So far as Mr. Simms is concerned——” But again she was interrupted, this time by her husband.
“Why, yes, Julietta,” he said, amiably, “I’d like very much to play it out. I’ll be here at four.”