Dick's a grown man and Mrs.Ballantyne has been acquitted." Margaret Pettifer knew her husband.
"Is that your last word ?" she asked ruefully.
"Absolutely." "It isn't mine, Robert." Robert Pettifer chuckled and laid a hand upon his wife's.
"I know that, Margaret." "We are going to dine next Friday night at Little Beeding to meet Stella Ballantyne." Mr.Pettifer was startled but he held his tongue.
"The invitation came this morning after you had left for London," she added.
"And you accepted it at once ?" "Yes." Pettifer was certain that she had before she opened her mouth to answer him.
"I shall dine at Little Beeding on Friday," he said, "because Harold always gives me an admirable glass of vintage port"; and with that he dismissed the subject.

Mrs.Pettifer was content to let it smoulder in his mind.

She was not quite sure that he was as disturbed as she wished him to be, but that he was proud of Dick she knew, and if by any chance uneasiness grew strong in him, why, sooner or later he would let fall some little sentence; and that little sentence would probably be useful..