Mr. Meredith had noticed Rob's dejection at the hotel, and remarked to Nell's mother that he thought Mary was very stiff to Angus. Mrs. Meredith looked sadly at her husband in reply.
'You think so,' she said, mournfully shaking her head at him, 'and so does Richard Abinger. Mr. Angus is as blind as the rest of you.'
'I don't understand,' said Mr. Meredith, with much curiosity.
'Nor do they,' replied his wife contemptuously; 'there are no men so stupid, I think, as the clever ones.'
She could have preached a sermon that night, with the stupid sex for her text.
CHAPTER XIII
THE HOUSE-BOAT 'TAWNY OWL'
'Mr. Angus, what is an egotist?'
'Don't you know, Miss Meredith?'