“Not I,” said Leedham.
“I expect,” remarked Francis, with a chuckle, “he’ll marry a Portuguese.”
“Frank! How can you!” protested Martha. “The Portuguese are Catholics!”
“Perhaps she’ll be rich,” threw in Minna.
“And beautiful, with dark languishing eyes,” added Mabel Clibran-Bell. And in a few minutes they had created the future Mrs. Leedham and, rather maliciously, endowed her with a furious temper.
Leedham took all the chaff in good part and made himself especially amiable to his mother.
Mary went upstairs with some supper for James and the talk turned on Flynn, and everybody wondered what he would do next.
“I hate that Flynn,” said Martha.
“Oh, come!” replied Francis, “he’s filled the church. I couldn’t have done it without him.”
“But it is horrid,” said Mabel Clibran-Bell.