"Oh yes, Romer dear; in a sort of way, because it makes him interesting, although you can't see it. When he was quite young he was always having lifelong passions for people, and being tattooed in their honour. He has blue chain bracelets with initials on his left wrist, and a heart and an anchor with other initials on his right arm, and a flight of swallows--oh, and goodness knows what! In fact, when you come to think of it Mr. Rathbone is really a kind of serial story--with illustrations. I wonder Lord Northcliffe doesn't bring him out in monthly parts!" She laughed again. "Harry might even get Hereford Vaughan, the man who has written all the plays that are going on now. Harry knows him quite well, and Van Buren would be so pleased." "Does Daphne want to many this American chap?" "Good gracious, no! The idea! Why, she doesn't even know him!... Yes, of course she does, naturally." "Oh!" Romer, though he never by any chance smiled at his wife's careless irresponsible chatter, nor laughed at her trivial jests, took the deepest interest in them, and would listen, as if under a charm, by the hour, to subtleties and frivolities that one would never have imagined he would enjoy. Sometimes the faint shadow of a smile would illuminate his face like a cold ray of wintry moonlight, but that was when she had ceased speaking. The smile was the effect of having watched the sparkle of her grey eyes, the expression of her pretty mouth, and her brilliant, sunshiny grace. "It's very sweet of Harry," she said thoughtfully, "to do all this for me. It's all for me, or rather it's all for Daphne; he's so fond of Daphne." "Really? Why doesn't he marry her himself?" She looked surprised and blushed slightly. "Harry? Why, he never marries!" "He doesn't as a rule, I know," Romer admitted. "Then, why should he make an exception for Daphne? He's fond of her--of us--in fact, devoted--just like a brother. Not that I ever saw a devoted brother. Besides, Harry's made to be a bachelor, and he isn't well off enough to marry." "Really? Hard up? Poor chap! Never saw any sign of it." "Hard up? No; how like you! Of course, he has plenty of money, for _him_, but he spends it all, poor boy. Anyhow, of course, he's not really rich like Van Buren. It's on a totally different scale--a different sort of thing altogether. But, of course, Van Buren may not care for Daphne; people have such funny tastes; and not only that, but if he adores and worships the ground she treads on I shan't let her dream of marrying him unless she absolutely returns it--at least, unless she likes him fairly well." All this seemed to absorb Romer, and after a pause he said-- "I suppose you'll get Daphne a new dress for Harry's beano?" Valentia smiled pityingly.