“She said so,” was the reply.
“When you’ve been married as long as I have,” said the Third, who having been married some fifteen years felt that their usual positions were somewhat reversed, “you’ll know that generally speaking they’re glad to get rid of you.”
“What for?” demanded the Chief in a voice that Othello might have envied.
“Well, you get in the way a bit,” said Rogers with secret enjoyment, “you see you upset the arrangements. House-cleaning and all that sort of thing get interrupted. They’re glad to see you back at first, and then glad to see the back of you.”
“There’s wives and wives,” said the bridegroom tenderly.
“And mine’s good one,” said the Third, “registered A 1 at Lloyds’, but she don’t worry about me going away. Your Wife’s thirty years younger than you, isn’t she?”
“Twenty-five,” corrected the other shortly. “You see what I’m afraid of is, that she’ll get too much attention.”
“Well, women like that,” remarked the Third.
“But I don’t, damn it,” cried the Chief hotly. “When I think of it I get hot all over. Boiling hot.”
“That won’t last,” said the other reassuringly, “you won’t care twopence this time next year.”