She thought it absurd that he should take the thing so seriously, and not in the least see its sporting side, and now looked at the paper again with a provoking laugh.
"I think you ought to be proud of such a pretty sister," she said pertly, "instead of standing there grizzling, and trying to belittle my sporting tendencies. I'm awfully amused at it. Perhaps, in the course of time, I may aspire to the dignity of the Sporting and Dramatic, who knows?"
The Professor did not reply, though his wrath was abating. Min's suggestion that his sister might be driven to seek companionship and recreation away from him had sunk into his mind, and though he could not bring himself to encourage, or even tolerate, her deplorable taste in sport, he was nevertheless wide-awake enough now to the possibilities of existence without her.
"It can't be helped, I suppose, my dear," he said at last, "but it is to be regretted. Were it not for the degrading influences—"
"Don't talk nonsense, Frank!" Gay interrupted. "You don't call Mr. Mackrell degraded, do you?"
"Of course not, my dear. I find him singularly refined for an—er—a sporting-man."
"Oh! when will you learn the difference between a sportsman and a sporting-man, Heron?" Gay asked piteously.
The Professor declined to prophesy.
"By the way," she said, "Mr. Mackrell is coming to tea this afternoon, and has asked permission to bring Mr. Rensslaer with him. He's the great driver and owner of Trotters, you know—I daresay you've often seen his name in the papers—they say his stable contains the pick of the horses of the world—but, of course, you haven't," she added, laughing.
"This place is becoming quite a sporting rendezvous," said Frank spitefully. "I hope, at any rate, you will have the decency to exclude reporters from your meetings."