‘The widow, you mean. There is only one, so far. Her boy isn’t old enough yet to be married.’
‘How did you get her?’
‘She was at school with me. At St Louisa’s.’
‘Oh: blackmail. The tyranny of auld lang syne.’
‘Tyranny nothing,’ said Laura. ‘She was glad to come and do the chore. She’s a darling.’
‘The best way to bring Pat up to his bit would be to make her attractive in his eyes.’
‘She’s ragingly attractive.’
‘I don’t mean that way. I mean, make her good at something he admires.’
‘She’s an expert with a fly,’ Laura said doubtfully, ‘but I don’t know that Pat would find that very impressive. He just thinks that someone who can’t fish is abnormal.’
‘I suppose you couldn’t endow her with a few revolutionary tendencies.’