'The usual report of progress?'
'Yes. I fancy those two children are giving her a good deal of trouble. She'll have to send the boy to a boarding school.'
'But can she afford it?'
'I don't know.'
'I've never understood yet why you take so much interest in those children.'
Her eyes rested upon him with a peculiarly keen scrutiny, and Harvey, resenting the embarrassment due to his own tactics, showed a slight impatience.
'Why, partly because I wish to help Mrs. Abbott with advice, if I can: partly because I'm interested in the whole question of education.'
'Yes, it's interesting, of course. She has holidays, I suppose?'
'It's holiday time with her now.'
'Then why don't you ask her to come and see us?'