‘ Don’t mind me,’ returned James; ‘but take care when his wife is by, you know.’
‘ His wife?’ said Tom. ‘My sister Loo? O yes!’ And he laughed, and took a little more of the cooling drink.
James Harthouse continued to lounge in the same place and attitude, smoking his cigar in his own easy way, and looking pleasantly at the whelp, as if he knew himself to be a kind of agreeable demon who had only to hover over him, and he must give up his whole soul if required. It certainly did seem that the whelp yielded to this influence. He looked at his companion sneakingly, he looked at him admiringly, he looked at him boldly, and put up one leg on the sofa.
‘ My sister Loo?’ said Tom. ‘She never cared for old Bounderby.’
‘ That’s the past tense, Tom,’ returned Mr. James Harthouse, striki
