"Unselfish then. You'll share it with us."
"And with Julia a little, I hope," he said.
"God bless you!" cried his mother, looking up at him. Her eyes were detained by the sudden sense of something in his own that was not clear to her; but before she could challenge it he asked abruptly:
"Why do you talk so of poor Biddy? Why won't she marry?"
"You had better ask Peter Sherringham," said Lady Agnes.
"What has he to do with it?"
"How odd of you not to know—when it's so plain how she thinks of him that it's a matter of common gossip."
"Yes, if you will—we've made it so, and she takes it as an angel. But Peter likes her."
"Does he? Then it's the more shame to him to behave as he does. He had better leave his wretched actresses alone. That's the love of art too!" mocked Lady Agnes.
But Nick glossed it all over. "Biddy's so charming she'll easily marry some one else."