“It don’t matter what she is!” struck in George. “All that signifies is that she’s Sherry’s wife!”
Mr Ringwood looked at him under his brows, but refrained from comment. After a slight pause, George said: “Not our affair, whatever we may think. The fact of the matter is, she does need some older female to school her.”
“She’ll have one,” replied Mr Ringwood.
“Yes, that’s all very well, but though I don’t say he set about it the right way, Sherry ain’t so far wrong when he takes it into his head to send Kitten down to the dowager.”
“Do you know my aunt Valeria, George?” asked Ferdy, astonished.
“Oh, lord, yes, I know her! But — ”
“Well, I wouldn’t have thought it.”
“That ain’t the point,” interrupted Mr Ringwood. “Point is what Kitten said just now: Sherry don’t love her.”
“I wouldn’t say that, Gil,” protested Ferdy. “Never told me he didn’t love her!”
Mr Ringwood closed his cloak-bag and strapped it. “I know Sherry,” he said. “But I don’t know if he loves Kitten or not. Going to find out. If you ask me, he don’t know either. If he don’t it ain’t a particle of use sending Kitten to the dowager. Come to think of it, it ain’t much use sending her there if he does, because that ain’t the way he’d find it out. But if he does love her, he ain’t going to like not knowing what’s become of her. Might miss her like the devil. Make him start to think a trifle.”