“And Billy pleases you?”

“He has a sense of humour.”

“And Mrs. Baxter?”

“Has what they call a motherly way with her.”

His eyes wandered round the rosery with a grave, musing look.

“I want to talk.”

“Talk to me here. I want to know how——”

“How she accepted it?”

“Yes.”

“She laughed. Thought it ridiculous. And I had been ready for a possible tragedy!”