“Oh, not so near the fire. I can’t afford to neglect my complexion at my time of life!”
Her husband was rubbing his hands in front of the fire. He had no complexion to spoil.
“Horrible weather for this time o’ year,” he said.
“Damnable,” said Herbert, agreeing with him almost too cordially.
“Is dear Clare suited at present?” asked the lady.
“Well,” said Mrs. Heywood, “we still have Mollie, but she is a great trouble—a very great trouble.”
“Oh, the eternal servant problem!” said Mrs. Atkinson Brown. “I thought I had a perfect jewel, but I found her inebriated in the kitchen only yesterday.”
Herbert was racking his brains for conversational subjects. He fell back on an old one. “Business going strong?”
“Business!” said Mr. Atkinson Brown. “My dear boy, business has been the very devil since this Radical Government has been in power.”
“I am sure there has been a great deal of trouble in the world lately,” said Mrs. Heywood.