“Oh, I suppose she was after your time. She’s the mater’s factotum, companion, Jack of all trades! A great sport⁠—old Evie! Not precisely young and beautiful, but as game as they make them.”

“You were going to say⁠—?”

“Oh, this fellow! He turned up from nowhere, on the pretext of being a second cousin or something of Evie’s, though she didn’t seem particularly keen to acknowledge the relationship. The fellow is an absolute outsider, anyone can see that. He’s got a great black beard, and wears patent leather boots in all weathers! But the mater cottoned to him at once, took him on as secretary⁠—you know how she’s always running a hundred societies?”

I nodded.