‘But is an advertising agent a gentleman?’
Jasper laughed.
‘Do you think of him as a bill-poster? At all events he is enormously wealthy, and has a magnificent house at Chislehurst. The girl goes about with her stepmother. I call her a girl, but she must be nearly thirty, and Mrs Rupert looks only two or three years older. I had quite a long talk with her—Miss Rupert, I mean—last night. She told me she was going to stay next week with the Barlows, so I shall have a run out to Wimbledon one afternoon.’
Dora looked at him inquiringly.
‘Just to see Miss Rupert?’ she asked, meeting his eyes.
‘To be sure. Why not?’
‘Oh!’ ejaculated his sister, as if the question did not concern her.
‘She isn’t exactly good-looking,’ pursued Jasper, meditatively, with a quick glance at the listener, ‘but fairly intellectual. Plays very well, and has a nice contralto voice; she sang that new thing of Tosti’s—what do you call it? I thought her rather masculine when I first saw her, but the impression wears off when one knows her better. She rather takes to me, I fancy.’
‘But—’ began Dora, after a minute’s silence.
‘But what?’ inquired her brother with an air of interest.