8Fran did not discuss the matter with John. She had the idea, entirely unsupported (she knew) by any evidence, that John disliked Peter. When John disliked people he was always most strict in his fairness to them, and he was certainly treating Peter with fairness, even with generosity. Already Peter had smoked his way through three boxes of John’s cigars.
Nor did she succeed in leading Nan into confession. Nan’s attitude was more than ever one of frightened reticence; it was as if she were hugging to herself a delicious secret, and suspected Fran of either knowing it or wishing to know it. It was with Peter himself that Fran could have talked most easily, if only he had encouraged her. But he did not encourage her. He talked endlessly about his own life, but there were always two things i
