"You don't mind," said the young man with a slight catch in the
breath that might have been apprehensive, "that I sometimes bring
her books and flowers and things? Do what little I can to keep life
interesting down here? It's not very congenial. . . . She's so
wonderful--I think she is the most wonderful woman in the world."
Benham perceived that so far from being a modern aristocrat he was
really a primitive barbarian in these matters.
"I've no doubt," he said, "that my wife has every reason to be
grateful for your attentions."
In the little pause that followed Benham had a feeling that Sir
Philip was engendering something still more personal. If so, he
might be constrained to invert very gently but very firmly the bowl
of chrysanthemums over Sir Philip's head, or kick him in an
improving manner. He had a ridiculous belief that Sir Philip would
probably take anything of the sort very touchingly. He scrambled in
his mind for some remark that would avert this possibility.
"Have you ever been in Russia?" he asked hastily. "It is the most
wonderful country in Europe.
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