"How do you do? I am so glad to see you. Won't you sit down? I have
been suffering terribly to-day--neuralgia; nothing for it but to lie
down in a dark room."

"I hope you are better now."

"Oh, when I have had some champagne I shall be quite well. Now tell me
something; talk to me."

Helen was sitting thrown back on the little black satin sofa; she had
crossed her legs, and her foot was set on a tiger's head. The ankle
was too thick, the foot slightly fat, but stocking and shoe were
perfect, and these drew Frank's eyes too attentively. Helen noticed
this and was glad.

"So you like Maggie the best?"

"Oh, yes, I like her the best, Sally is too rough. How those girls do
worry their father. He has to go up to town every day; he is in the
City, and the girls give tennis parties, and drink his best wine.
There was an awful row there the other day about the peaches; he had
been going in for forcing, and was counting the days when they would
be ripe. The young men ate them all."

Helen laughed. "A sort of comic King Lear."

"Just so, the girls will have large fortunes at their father's death.
I have known them all my life. I used to spend my holidays with them
when I was a small boy."