My brother Brackenbury did indeed lend me the house for a few weeks in the summer--when every one was away in Scotland--, but otherwise I have not passed a night there on their invitation since that deplorable week-end when all the trouble with Phyllida began. You have forgotten it! I hope now that every one will forget it. Hilary--Colonel Butler, you know--had fallen in love with my niece while he was in her hospital. As Phyllida was living with me at the time, I had a duty to my brother, so I suggested that this boy should be invited to the Hall "on approval", as Will would say. I yield to no one in my _real_ affection for dear Hilary, but--why disguise it?--he had been brought up simply--on modest means--, and it was only right that he should see Phyllida in her natural frame and decide for himself whether he could support her and live up to it. Most people so notoriously _cannot_: my sister-in-law Ruth, who remains and will ever remain the purse-proud shipping magnate's daughter... I was more than justified. Hilary consulted me; and, though I will never take the responsibility of advising young people in love, he was grateful for the detachment of an outsider. _I_, he could see, had no axe to grind... Brackenbury and Ruth received him effusively; my nephew Culroyd took him to his heart; if he had proposed, he would have been accepted then and there. He had done too wonderfully in the war and, in my humble judgement, gave a promise of success in any career he might undertake. _Me_ he consulted to know whether the world would say that he had married Phyllida for her money. He was daunted, I could see, by the _lavishness_ of the Hall: the size of the house, the number of servants, Phyllida's four hunters--and so forth and so on. I told him that, _in this respect of money and--in--this--respect--alone_, he was not in fact contributing very much. He nodded, packed his bag and went off to _make_ money--with an enterprise and a resolution that was too splendid. Did I ever tell you that I once detected him driving a motor-cab? He has now formed a company and is doing very well indeed. It was quite romantic! I always knew that there _were_ such men in England and I was proud to meet one.