"Oh—by the way," he said, "there's Murdoch, we've never had Murdoch."
She wrote the name without comment.
"Who next?" she asked after having done it.
"You see," he went on, waveringly, "there is really nothing which could be an obstacle in the way of our inviting him—really nothing. He is—he is all that we could wish."
The reply he received staggered him.
"It is nonsense," she said, looking up calmly, "to talk of obstacles. I should have invited him long ago."
"You!" he exclaimed. "Would you—really?"
"Yes," she answered. "Why not?"
"Why—not?" he repeated, feebly. "I don't know why not. I thought that perhaps——" and then he broke off. "I wish I had known as much before," he added.