“It’s ridiculous!” Mrs. Cloud’s tone was sharp. She was annoyed with Justin, and she felt that it was too bad of Laura to put her in the position of being annoyed with Justin. “You might have reminded him,” she said.
Laura looked at her.
“Oh—I might.” Her tone was expressionless.
Mrs. Cloud’s gesture disclaimed all future responsibility for any one at all in the world whatever.
“He’ll think of it some time or other,” Laura soothed her, with another twinkle. She sat smiling to herself over Justin and his ways and her own odd delight in humouring them. Then a new thought took her and she laughed outright. “Oliver would have had it in his pocket,” she said, “months beforehand. Poor Oliver!”
She wondered idly what should bring him into her head again. She had not thought of him for so long. She was astonished to find herself considering him indulgently, all irritation inexplicably dissipated.
“Oliver?”
“Yes.”
Mrs. Cloud’s eyebrows were expressive.
“Was he——” she ventured.