“And I dare say you’ll do good work in the world yet.”
The train ran into Paddington Station on this sublime climax of fatherhood, and the further words of wisdom were jerked out of Mr. Lane during their passage to Carlton House Terrace in a four-wheeled cab.
“What an extraordinary person Mr. Eustace Lane is!” said Winifred Ames to her particular friend and happy foil, Jane Fraser. “All London is beginning to talk about him. I suppose he must be clever?”
“Oh, of course, darling, very clever; otherwise, how could he possibly gain so much notice? Just think—why, there are millions of people in London, and I’m sure only about a thousand of them, at most, attract any real attention. I think Mr. Eustace Lane is a genius.”
“Do you really, Jenny?”
“I do indeed.”
Winifred mused for a moment. Then she said:
“It must be very interesting to marry a genius, I suppose?”
“Oh, enthralling, simply. And, then, so few people can do it.”