"Dismal. What is it?"
He stood upright before the chinmeypiece, his conscience sustained by this posture of rectitude.
"I'm not quite easy about Barbara," he said.
"Barbara? What on earth has she been doing?"
"She's been doing nothing. It's—it's rather what she may do if you don't stop her."
"I don't want to stop her," said Fanny, "if you're thinking of Ralph
Bevan."
"Ralph Bevan? I certainly am not thinking of him. Neither is she."
"Well then, what?"
"I was thinking of myself."
"My dear, you surely don't imagine that Barbara's thinking of you?"