When Arthur speaks like that, I never argue with him. It is curious--one has seen the same thing a thousand times between mothers and daughters, but men always pride themselves on being _un_petty--; Arthur is _really_ jealous of his own son. If Will and he are left together for any time, Arthur becomes a different man, querulous, impossible to please. With his directorships and his clubs and his journeys to and fro, my husband--as you must have seen--does not give me very much of his society; I am left to support the burden of domestic empire single-handed, but, when Will is at home, I am _glad_ for Arthur to be away. When our boy applied for a commission, all that Arthur would say was, why hadn't he applied for it before? When he joined the staff, why hadn't he _refused_ to join the staff? When he left it, why hadn't he _stayed_ there? _Picking_ a quarrel... If only I could find him some suitable employment! But when a man like Erskine or Erckmann or whatever his name is... A broken reed, a mere "climber" who hoped to _use_ me for securing an invitation to Cheniston and the delectable friendship of my brother-in-law Spenworth... I have lost the thread... Ah, yes! For all its shabbiness, the dear old house looked more than attractive when Mrs. Surdan arrived for dinner. Just the two of us... I always think tea is such an inhospitable meal, and luncheon is hardly practicable when every gleam of sunlight shews you something more to be patched and painted... As a matter of fact I might have spared my pains, for she was not interested in the house. "Now, Lady Ann," she said, with the brisk, efficient manner which always rather puts me on my guard. "Let's come to business. I want your advice. My husband has closed down his department and is going north immediately. I shall go with him, of course, and I want to know what you would advise me to do with Hilda. After all the work she's done in hospital I should like her to have a few months' complete holiday and to enjoy herself, but obviously I want to entrust her to some one who _will_ look after her. Hilda is a thoroughly sensible girl, but London is a big place, and I suppose there is no harm in saying that she _is_ very attractive and will have a good deal of money later on. You know far better than I do the importance of her meeting the _right_ people. What do you suggest?"