"Two for the country," said Dick. "Now we'll go round the table. Mother, where do your tastes lie?" Mrs. Clinton did not reply for a moment; then she said, "I don't think I should mind which it was if I had my family round me." "Oh, come now, Nina," said the Squire, "that's no answer. Surely _you_ don't want to become a town madam." "You mustn't bring pressure, Edward," said Mrs. Beach. "We shall have quite enough on our side." "Mother neutral," said Dick. "Jim?" "Oh, the country," said Jim. "Three for the country. Angela?" "London." "You must give a reason," said Mrs. Beach. Angela laughed. "I like music, and plays," she said, "and hearing people talk." "Well, surely you can hear people talk in the country," said the Squire. "And such talk!" added Mrs. Graham, at which everybody laughed except the Squire, who saw no humour in the remark. "Three to one," said Dick. "Aunt Grace, you've had your turn. Now it's mine. I don't want to bury myself yet awhile, but when the time comes I expect I shall shy at London as the governor does. I'm country." "Why?" asked Angela. "Oh, because there's more to do. Now then, Beatrice. You're London, I suppose." "Yes," said Beatrice. "Because there's more to do." "Good for you! That's four to two. Mrs. Graham!" "Can you ask?" said that lady. "And I won't give any reasons. I like the country best because I like it best." "Father is country. Five to two." "And my reason," said the Squire, "is that every man who doesn't like the country best, when he can get it, isn't a man at all. He's a popinjay." "Well, at the risk of being called the feminine for popinjay," said Mrs. Birket, with a smile, "I must choose London." "Oh, but I don't include the women, my dear Emmeline," said the Squire. "And I don't include men like Herbert either, who've got their work to do. I'm thinking of the fellows who peacock about on pavements when they might be doing 'emselves good hunting, or some such pursuit. It's country sport that's good for a man, keeps him strong and healthy; and he sees things in the proper light too. England was a better country than it is now when the House of Commons was chiefly made up of country gentlemen. You didn't hear anything about this preposterous socialism then. I tell you, the country gentlemen are the backbone of England, and your party will find it out when you've turned them out of the country." "Oh, but we shan't do that," said Mr. Birket. "That would be too dreadful." "No politics," said Dick. "We're five to three. Tom, you're a country man, I'm sure." But the Rector was not at all sure that he was. He sometimes thought that people were more interesting than Nature. On the whole, he thought he would choose the town. "Then I change round," said Mrs. Beach. "Where thou goest, Tom, I will go. Dick, I'm town." "Then that changes the game. Town's one up. Muriel, be careful."