Uncle Preston did not see it like that at all.

Gardens were quarrelling, the solidity of the family was threatened. He must put matters right. Aunt Grace, of course, was only a Garden by marriage, but she was the mother of a Garden’s daughter, and had imbibed, during her marriage to Oliver, enough silliness and seriousness to entitle her to being considered a Garden. Of course she and Maxine must make it up.

Getting them to do so took him nearly a fortnight, and then he had a slight accident with the car, which had to be repaired, and the insurance company refused to allow his claim, and that meant more bother. Auntie Loo developed a stye upon the lid of her right eye; such an odd thing to get in the summer. So tiresome. And finally Mr Marriot wrote to tell him the good news that a doctor was considering buying the practice for two thousand pounds, and added that he would like an opportunity, if Mr Garden could spare him half an hour one afternoon, of discussing the financial affairs of Miss Garden and her brothers.

It appeared that Mr H. Garden had applied to Mr Marriot for a sum of twenty-two pounds to settle a tailor’s bill for that amount. Mr Marriot would like to know whether Mr Garden would like him to advance this sum to Mr Harry Garden.

He had had a telephone conversation with Miss Garden which he would also like to discuss.

It was this letter which convinced Uncle Preston that his fears about life at the cottage were well founded; and even his relief at hearing that a doctor wanted to buy the practice was tainted by worry and apprehension of woes to come.

Mr Marriot told him, in the course of their interview, that Miss Garden had telephoned to ask him how much money they had.

That was the phrase she used. How much money have we got, if you don’t mind my asking and if it is all right for you to tell me.

‘She meant, I gather,’ explained Mr Marriot, ‘that she did not wish to press her question unless I were within my legal rights in answering it.’

‘What did she want to know for?’ demanded Uncle Preston fretfully. He was much alarmed. Had Hartley’s children been getting into debt?

‘I gathered that she was concerned about the lack of stability in their finances. I understood from her that they are living right up to their income, that she finds it impossible, at the rate they are living at present, to save money, and that she is somewhat concerned about their future.’

‘Not saving money? But she said … I asked her … that is, I understood that they were all putting something away each week,’ stammered Uncle Preston.

This was a lie, but like most lies told by the Gardens, it was not recognized by the speaker as one. Uncle Preston meant that he wanted to understand that the children were all putting away money each week. His strong desire to believe this comforting fact, coupled with Sophia’s refusal to tell him anything definite about their savings, produced the illusion.