‘Not being an Ancred, Millamant, you can’t be expected to feel this terrible thing as painfully as we do. How Papa, with his deep sense of pride in an old name—we go back to the Conquest, Mrs Alleyn—how Papa can have allowed himself to be entangled! It’s too humiliating.’

‘Not being an Ancred, as you point out, Pauline, I realize Papa, as well as being blue-blooded, is extremely hot-blooded. Moreover, he’s as obstinate and vain as a peacock. He likes the idea of himself with a dashing young wife.’

‘Comparatively young,’ said Cedric.

Pauline clasped her hands, and turning from one member of her family to another, said, ‘I’ve thought of something! Now listen all of you. I’m going to be perfectly frank and impersonal about this. I know I’m the child’s mother, but that needn’t prevent me. Panty!’

‘What about Panty, Mother?’ asked Paul nervously.

‘Your grandfather adores the child. Now, suppose Panty were just to drop a childish hint.’

‘If you suggest,’ said Cedric, ‘that Panty should wind her little arms round his neck and whisper: “Grandpapa, when will the howwid lady wun away?” I can only say I don’t think she’d get into the skin of the part.’

‘He adores her,’ Pauline repeated angrily. ‘He’s like a great big boy with her. It brings the tears into my eyes to see them together. You can’t deny it, Millamant.’

‘I dare say it does, Pauline.’

‘Well, but Mother, Panty plays up to Grandpapa,’ said Paul bluntly.

‘And in any case,’ Cedric pointed out, ‘isn’t Panty as thick as thieves with Sonia?’

‘I happen to know,’ said Millamant, ‘that Miss Orrincourt encouraged Panty to play a very silly trick on me last Sunday.’

‘What did she do?’ asked Cedric.

Fenella giggled.

‘She pinned a very silly notice on the back of my coat when I was going to church,’ said Millamant stuffily.

‘What did it say, Milly, darling?’ Cedric asked greedily.

‘Roll out the Barrel,’ said Fenella.

‘This is getting us nowhere,’ said Millamant.

‘And now,’ said Troy hurriedly, ‘I really think if you’ll excuse me—’

This time she was able to get away. The Ancreds distractedly bade her goodnight. She refused an escort to her room, and left them barely waiting, she felt, for her to shut the door before they fell to again.