"I hope you won't find it dull, my darling," he said.

"Dull, when you are here?"

"But I cannot always be here, you know?"

She looked up.

"You see, a man is so much in the way if he is dawdling about a house
all day long. You would begin to regard me as a nuisance, Sheila,
and would be for sending me out to play croquet with those young
Carruthers, merely that you might get the rooms dusted. Besides, you
know I couldn't work here: I must have a studio of some sort--in the
neighborhood, of course. And then you will give me your orders in the
morning as to when I am to come round for luncheon or dinner."

"And you will be alone all day at your work?"

"Yes."

"Then I will come and sit with you, my poor boy," she said.

"Much work I should do in that case!" he said. "But we'll see. In
the mean time go up stairs and get your things off: that young person
below has breakfast ready, I dare say."

"But you have not shown me yet where Mr. Ingram lives," said Sheila
before she went to the door.