"I suppose I shall have to let him marry
her in the end. She's all right, of course, as regards family. But a bit of
a swear-stick--melt in a storm, probably. Confound the boy!"--irritably.
"Why couldn't he have remained in love with Ann?"
"I'm very glad he didn't," returned Lady Susan quietly. "It was only
calf-love. Besides, he would have _leant_ on Ann--she's such a stalwart
little soldier, you know"--with a smile.
Sir Philip nodded.
"Yes. She'd have kept him straight," he said gloomily. "Whereas Doreen
Neville's the hot-house plant type--just the opposite. No good to Tony at
all."
"I'm not so sure, Philip. Sometimes the need to care for and protect some
one weaker than himself helps to steady a man down more than anything else.
Ah!" Lady Susan broke off, her face brightening. "Here is Ann--with Robin.
I told them to come early."
Sir Philip put up his monocle and glared in the direction of the
new-comers. Yes, Ann was certainly thinner--too thin, perhaps--though, as
far as appearances were concerned, he thought the change had only served to
accentuate the charming angles of her face and give an additional grace to
the boyishly slender lines of her figure.
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