"Oh, no! Elena wished me to ask you to invite them. And Cary was listening."
"Did he care to come?"
"I suppose so."
"What did he say?"
"He grinned. He always does what Elena asks him to do."
"Oh! Then bring them by all means."
"Thank you, Jim."
And that was all; and Desboro, astonished and troubled for a few moments, began to see in the incident not only the dawn of an understanding between Clydesdale and his wife, but something resembling a vindication for himself in this offer to renew a friendship so abruptly terminated. More than that, he saw in it a return of Elena to her senses, and it pleased him so much that when he passed Aunt Hannah in the hall he was almost smiling.
"What pleases you so thoroughly, James—yourself?" she asked grimly.
But he only smiled at her and sauntered on, exchanging friendly body-blows with Reggie Ledyard as he passed.