'Thomas,' said Mrs Holt with some hesitation.
'Yes,' said Mr Holt. 'What is it?'
'Oh! nothing,' said Mrs Holt. 'Just a queer idea. Nothing worth talking about.'
'Well, come again when it is worth talking about,' growled Mr Holt, relapsing into his newspaper.
'Of course there's nothing in it,' remarked Mrs Holt pertinaciously.
'Nothing in what?' her husband burst forth. 'What do you mean, Maria? Have you got anything to say or not? If you have, let's have it out.'
'I was only going to say that Jack . . . of course I don't think that Victoria sees it, but you understand he's a very young man, but I don't blame her, he's such a funny boy,' said Mrs Holt lucidly.
'Good heavens, Maria,' cried her husband, 'do you want me to smash something?'
'How you do go on,' remarked Maria placidly. 'What I meant to say is that don't you think Jack's rather too attentive to Victoria?'
Mr Holt dropped his paper suddenly. 'Attentive?' he growled, 'haven't noticed it.'