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“No, I suppose not,” agreed Elvira

She glanced round in an expressionless manner It certainly see

“Lot of old fogies here, I’ht, perhaps, to have taken you sos, you see”

“This is very nice,” said Elvira politely

“It’s only for a couple of nights,” went on Colonel Lusco A h not sure he was using the right terht?”

“How delightful,” exclaimed Mrs Carpenter “That will be a treat, won’t it, Elvira?”

“Lovely,” said Elvira, tonelessly

“And then supper afterwards? At the Savoy?”

Fresh exclalance at Elvira, cheered up a little He thought that Elvira was pleased, though quite deter more than polite approval in front of Mrs Carpenter “And I don’t blame her,” he said to himself

He said to Mrs Carpenter:

“Perhaps you’d like to see your rooht and all that—”

“Oh, I’m sure they will be”

“Well, if there’s anything you don’t like about thee it They know me here very well”

Miss Gorringe, in charge at the desk, was pleasantly welco bathroom

“I’ll go up and get things unpacked,” said Mrs Carpenter “Perhaps, Elvira, you and Colonel Luscoossip”

Tact, thought Colonel Luscoet rid of her for a bit Though what he was going to gossip about to Elvira, he really didn’t know A very nice-irls His wife had died in childbirth and the baby, a boy, had been brought up by his wife’s family whilst an elder sister had coone to live in Kenya, and his grandchildren were eleven, five and two and a half and had been entertained on their last visit by football and space science talk, electric trains, and a ride on his foot Easy! But young girls!

He asked Elvira if she would like a drink He was about to propose a bitter leeade, but Elvira forestalled him

“Thank you I should like a gin and vermouth”

Colonel Luscoirls of—as she? sixteen? seventeen?—did drink gin and vermouth But he reassured himself that Elvira knew, so to speak, correct Greenwich social tiin and vermouth and a dry sherry

He cleared his throat and asked:

“Hoas Italy?”

“Very nice, thank you”

“And that place you were at, the Contessa what’s-her-narim?”

“She is rather strict But I didn’t let that worry me”

He looked at her, not quite sure whether the reply was not slightly auous

He said, sta a little, but with a e before:

“I’ht to, seeing I’odfather Difficult for me, you know—difficult for a irl wants—at least—I ht to have Schools and then after school—what they used to call finishing in my day But now, I suppose it’s all more serious Careers eh? Jobs? All that? We’ll have to have a talk about all that so in particular you want to do?’

“I suppose I shall take a secretarial course,” said Elvira without enthusiasm

“Oh You want to be a secretary?”

“Not particularly—”

“Oh—well, then—”

“It’s just what you start with,” Elvira explained

Colonel Luscoated to his place

“These cousins ofwith them? If not—”

“Oh I think so I like Nancy quite well And Cousin Mildred is rather a dear”