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forehead and her ears showing and spectacles on a rather blunt nose?
Well, that was Jane Fowler.”
“You had so many photographs about the room in your
unregenerate days,” I said, vaguely.
“It makes me shudder to think of them. I’ve made them into a
huge brown-paper parcel and hidden them in an attic.”
“Well, who is Jane Fowler?” I asked again, smiling,
“She’s my sister-in-law. She was my husband’s sister and she
married a manufacturer in the north. She’s been a widow for many
years, and she’s very well-to-do.”
“And why is she your cross?”
“She’s worthy, she’s dowdy, she’s provincial. She looks twenty
years older than I do and she’s quite capable of telling anyone she
meets that we were at school together. She has an overwhelming
sense of family affection, and because I am her only living
connection she’s devoted to me. When she comes to London it never
occurs to her that she should stay anywhere but here — she thinks it
would hurt my feelings — and she’ll pay me visits of three or four
weeks. We sit here and she knits and reads. And sometimes she
insists on taking me to dine at Claridge’s and she looks like a funny
old charwoman and everyone I particularly don’t want to be seen by
is sitting at the next table. When we are driving home she says she
loves giving me a little treat. With her own hands she makes me tea-
cosies that I am forced to use when she is here and doilies and
centrepieces for the dining-room table.”
Mrs. Tower paused to take breath.
“I should have thought a woman of your tact would find a way
to deal with a situation like that.”
“Ah, but don’t you see, I haven’t a chance. She’s so
immeasurably kind. She has a heart of gold. She bores me to death,
but I wouldn’t for anything let her suspect it.”
“And when does she arrive?”
“Tomorrow.”
But the answer was hardly out of Mrs. Tower’s mouth when
the bell rang. There were sounds in the hall of a slight commotion and
in a minute or two the butler ushered in an elderly lady. “Mrs.
Fowler,” he announced.
“Jane,” cried Mrs. Tower, springing to her feet, “I wasn’t
expecting you today.”