“First of all,” he said, “I want to tell you something about my family. My Dad, you know, isn’t altogether⁠—I mean, he’s left my mother and they’re trying to divorce him; so they’ve ordered him to come back, you see. You’ll see that in the paper tomorrow.”

Her eyes deepened in colour and fearful interest; her hand squeezed his. But the gambler in Val was roused now, and he hurried on: