'Lucy wants to see him before he goes,' said Julia suddenly.
Dick looked at her and gave an impatient shrug of the shoulders.
'I suppose she wants to indulge a truly feminine passion for making scenes. She's made Alec quite wretched enough already.'
'Don't be unkind to her, Dick,' said Julia, tears welling up in her bright eyes. 'You don't know how desperately unhappy she is. My heart bled to see her this morning.'
'Darling, I'll do whatever you want me to,' he said, leaning over her.
Julia's sense of the ridiculous was always next door to her sense of the pathetic.
'I don't know why you should kiss me because Lucy's utterly miserable,' she said, with a little laugh.
And then, gravely, as she nestled in his encircling arm:
'Will you try and manage it? She hesitates to write to him.'
'I'm not sure if I had not better leave you to impart the pleasing information yourself,' he replied. 'I've asked Alec to come here this afternoon.'