“Is Clara interesting?” asked Stephen insinuatingly. Clara he had not yet met.
Ben shot him a shrewd glance out of the corners of his eyes, then he centred his attention on the knife with which he was still jabbing the arm of the chair.
“Well, yes,” he said hesitatingly.
“Pretty?”
“Yes;” and the yes came slowly from between slightly smiling lips.
“She's younger than Elinor?”
“Yes—two years—you'll like her, Landray.” A slight but perceptible enthusiasm was betraying itself in his manner. This aggravated Stephen. Why should Wade want him to like Clara, and why shouldn't he?
“They're both nice girls,” said Wade.
Landray looked out of the window and said nothing. Wade now saw fit to change the subject.
“I heard from Reddy the other day—oh, yes, I told you.”