“Before Christmas?” he murmured.
“See here, Mr.—ah—Mr., here is the situation in a nutshell:—Nellie doesn’t see why she should be keeping up two establishments. It’s expensive. The child will be comfortable and happy in the convent and this house will be off her hands. She––”
“Why don’t she give up her flat in town?” 84 demanded Harvey, miserably. “That’s where the money goes.”
“She expects to give it up the first of the year,” said Fairfax. “The road tour lasts till May. She is going to Europe for the summer.”
“To Europe?” gasped Harvey, feeling the floor sink under his feet.
He did not think to inquire what was to become of him in the new arrangement.
“She needs a sea voyage, travel—a long vacation, in fact. It is fully decided. So, you see, the convent is the place for Phoebe.”
“But where do I come in?” cried the unhappy father. “Does she think for a minute that I will put my child in a convent so that we may be free to go to Europe and do things like that? No, sir! Dammit, I won’t go to Europe and leave Phoebe in a––”
Fairfax was getting tired of the argument. Moreover, he was uncomfortable and decidedly impatient to have it over with. He cut in rather harshly on the other’s lamentations.
“If you think she’s going to take you to Europe, you’re very much mistaken. Why, man, have you no pride? Can’t you understand 85 what a damned useless bit of dead weight you are, hanging to her neck?”