This put everyone in such a good humour (even Aunt Maxine, who had already seen ‘The Racket’ from seats in the dress circle with Miss Van Veek, and who naturally enjoyed feeling herself superior to those who were getting their seats for nothing) that the rest of the visit passed off in the greatest cheerfulness and comfort.

Harry’s beauty, charm and obvious wish to please contrasted favourably with the grim, this-is-my-duty-so-I’m-doing-it air of Sophia and the specious smiles of Francis; all the poor relatives, who had really had rather a nasty afternoon, expanded with pathetic gratitude in the sunlight of his attentive, friendly manner and felt, not for the first time, that he was the nicest of the three.

Sophia and Francis, exchanging relieved grins as they saw the relations off, wondered sardonically how he had the patience to do it.

‘And it isn’t as though you liked them any better than we do,’ said Sophia, when everyone had gone and the three were lying about the sitting room in attitudes of exhaustion.

‘Good god, no. But I’m sorry for them. They’re so awful. And besides, poor old weasels, they won’t any of them be here for long …’

‘Angela will,’ said Francis gloomily.

‘ … so one may as well be decent to them. I don’t mind them, really, as long as they don’t try to run me. That does make me see red, if you like. Look here, Sophia, will you get in some beer? I met a marvellous girl today – god! she’s marvellous, she’s got better legs than Marlene – and I want to bring her back here after the show tonight. I’ve told her what a marvellous place we’ve got and she’s awfully keen to see it. She’s living in digs, you see, and she hates it because she’s awfully domesticated, really. And I may bring another girl, as well. Girl called June Dawne, who’s in “Fifty Grand”.’

‘Oh … well, I’ll get some when I go out. Would you like me to wait up?’

‘Not unless you want to. Do if you like, of course. I don’t expect they’ll stay long. We shall just have a cheery half-hour and we shall have a drink or two, and they’ll see the place.’

‘Well, that will be very nice, darling. I don’t think I will wait up, if you don’t mind, because it will make it rather late and …’

She did not finish her sentence; she was going to say that she never knew what to say to marvellous girls, but she substituted instead ‘The Deedle can stay up, if he likes.’

‘I was going to anyway,’ said Francis mildly.

And, as Sophia was not looking at them, the brothers exchanged a glance.

It said much. It said that sisters, even the nicest of them, and Sophia was certainly a very good sort, were sometimes best in bed; it said that chaps must be catered for, chaps must have a good time and live their own lives; it said that legs which were better than Marlene’s were more attractive than wit, education and baked beans on toast. It said that Harry and Francis were beginning to realize, though as yet through a glass darkly, the potentialities of the cottage.