Having quarrelled with my best friend and made her ’quick all bluggy,’ I bolted into a post office and sent a frantic wire to ’Uncle John’ to meet me at five o’clock at the cottage to talk about repairs. After that I did a heap of shopping, whirled into a registry office and put my name down for a cook, and was rude to the lady who ran the office because she seemed to imagine I must be dotty to think she could get me one at all, though she took my booking fee all right. Then I got in a panic and wondered whether I really did like the cottage now that it was finally decided, so I rushed home and routed Ross out to walk over to it and help me to make up my mind—like Monica. The winter sun was setting as we walked up the red brick path, mellowing and beautifying the old place and filling the rooms with soft rose light. I felt quite sure I liked it. ’Uncle John’ turned up at five o’clock as requested. ’Now,’ said I, walking into what will be the drawing-room, ’what would you suggest here, Jones?’ ’Well, mum,’ said he, pulling his beard (it was one of his bushy days), ’I should think a nice yaller satin paper with a cream stripe would do ’ere, and a modern grate with a tiled hearth, that could be yaller to match the paper, or if you think that too conspishus you could ’ave it cream to match the stripe. I done one for a lady last week, and it looks a fair treat, that it do.’ I murmured weakly that I was sure it did, and did not venture to meet my brother’s eye. Then we passed into the lovely old dining-room, with its oak panelling and beamed ceiling. ’Now ’ere,’ said ’Uncle John,’ warming to the job, ’you won’t ’ave to go to no expense in fillin’ up the fireplace; I dun that last year, but I should ’ave a nice gas fire, it saves a deal of work.’ But the room he considered needed brightening up. ’A nice red paper, now, and this ’ere old panelling painted white.’ ’By Jove,’ said the incorrigible Ross, looking at me with a malicious grin, ’it would make the room lighter if you painted all the oak white, Meg, and you could have a green plush carpet and a red table cloth with ball fringe.’ ’Uncle John’ looked at him approvingly. ’Killing ’Uns ain’t spoilt the young genelman’s taste, I can see that,’ he said, ’but I shouldn’t ’ave nothing green, it is too conspishus, the two colours; keep it all red, that’s what I say, mum. Walls, carpets, and curtings all to match; what you want to aim at, Mrs Ellsley, is a scheme o’ colour, art in the ’ome is what you want; I done up a house for a lady like that, last week, dining-room red, drawing-room yaller, ’all green, bedrooms pink and blue, everythink to match and no expense spared, quite the palace, mum. Why, I could brighten up this old place so as you wouldn’t know it.’