‘Not at first. Twenty a week for a start, with a small commission. But there wouldn’t be any limit on the future, and the right man, or possibly it might be a woman, might work up to ten thousand a year or more. I’m not looking for an ex-charwoman, or on the other hand for some tired lily that thinks he’s arty. I’d like to find some college graduate with a knowledge of the history of art and with a lot of energy and sense . . .’

Fred was amused, then a trifle guilty, to see the way in which Sara turned on Lindbeck her full flashlight:

‘Funny you should speak of that, Mr. Lindbeck! I’ve always been so interested in both painting and furniture and, in a modest way of course, I think I know quite a little about them. I have some ideas about decorating . . . It seems to me that people are stupid in just using chromium and red leather and mirrors and rounded corners, so that every room that calls itself “moderne” looks like a café. I think you could take Biedermeyer models and Duncan Phyfe motifs and modernize them so that they’d be original, and do so many unconventional things with concealed lighting . . .’

‘Yes, yes, that’s so. Would you like to drop into my office tomorrow and talk with Mr. Swazey and myself?’

As they drove back home, Sara babbled to her parent, ‘I talked Mr. Lindbeck right into it! He had no idea I was thinking about a job. I just talked about decoration in general, as though I hadn’t the slightest notion of going to work, and he, the poor little man, thought it was all his own precious idea, getting me to accept a position. I think I might like it. Decorating, in this dull town — why, I can do it on my head, and please the stupid plutocrats like the Praggs almost to death! Father, my darling, you’re always fussing about me, but you wouldn’t have thought of a career like this for me in a thousand years, now would you!’

‘That’s so,’ said Fred.

For two weeks he rarely saw her, so absorbed was she in her new job of plotting against every innocent rocker and club chair left in town; for two weeks he had peace; but on a day just after the two weeks’ truce, he came home from the office to find Sara, triumphant, and Hazel, very anxious, standing in the hall and looking mysteriously into the living-room.

‘What’s all the excitement?’

‘I tell you, he won’t like it!’ said Hazel.

‘He will as soon as he gets used to it. If my own family can’t appreciate creative ideas, how can you expect anybody else to?’ said Sara.

‘Where’s the fire?’ said Fred.

‘Look at it, and don’t blame me . . . It is pretty lovely though . . . I think I’d come to like it a lot,’ said Hazel, waving her hand in the direction of the living-room and standing aside.