“Oh, yes—since school days,” she said, quietly. And she blushed again, but if Crabb noticed, it was not apparent, for he immediately busied himself with his soup.
“He used to be such a nice boy,” said Patricia. “But I’m afraid he got pretty wild and——”
“Yes,” put in her husband, a little dryly. “I’ve heard something about him.”
She glanced at him quickly, but he did not look up and she went on:
“I thought it would be nice if we could do a little something for him, give him a lift, introduce him to some influential people——”
“Make an opportunity for him, in short,” said Crabb.
“Er—yes. He has had a pretty hard time, I think.”
“I shouldn’t be surprised,” said Crabb, “most people do.”
Patricia foresaw an opportunity such as she had never had before, and a hundred plans at once flashed into her pretty head for the prodigal’s regeneration. First, of course, she must kill the fatted calf, and she therefore planned at once a dinner party, at which Mr. Pennington should meet some of her intimate friends, Dicky Bowles and his wife, the Burnetts, who were on from Washington, the Charlie Chisolms and her sister Penelope. For reasons of her own Stephen Ventnor was not invited.