‘I think,’ said Mysie, ‘Captain Henderson was like the two happy sons in Solon’s story, who dragged their mother to the temple.’
‘Only they died of it,’ said Gillian.
‘And nobody asked how the poor mother felt afterwards,’ added Lady Merrifield.
‘I thought they all had an apotheosis together,’ said Sir Jasper. ‘Let us hope that devotion may have its reward.’
There was a little lawn outside the drawing-room windows at Il Lido. Lady Merrifield was sitting just within, and her husband had just brought her a letter to read, when they heard Wilfred’s impish voice.
‘Jack—no, not Jack—Fangs!’
‘But Fangs’s name is Jack, so it will do as well,’ said Valetta’s voice.
‘Hurrah—so it is! Jack—’
‘Hush, Wilfred—this is too foolish!’ came Gillian’s tones in remonstrance.
‘Jack and Jill went up the hill
To draw—’