"I congratulate you," said Miss Blair, when I was sitting down again.
"I was just going to do that to you," I said.
"Oh, but you were kind enough to do that last night."
"Ah, this is extra. I've just been batting out there with your young man. Perhaps you noticed?"
"Well, I think I must have."
"Yes. Well, I wanted to tell you that I think he has quite an idea of the game, and that with more experience he would probably be good enough to play for—for Surrey. Second eleven. Yes. At hockey."
"Thank you so much. You've known him a long time, haven't you?"
"We were babes together, madam. At least, simultaneously. We actually met at school. He had blue eyes and curly hair, and fought the captain on the very first day. On the second day his hair was still curly, but he had black eyes. On the third day he got into the cricket eleven, and on the fourth he was given his footer cap. Afterwards he sang in the choir, and won the competition for graceful diving. It was not until his second term that the headmaster really began to confide in him. By the way, is this the sort of thing you want?"
"Yes," smiled Dahlia. "Something like that."
"Well, then we went to Cambridge together. He never did much work, but his algebra paper in the Little Go was so brilliant that they offered him the Senior Wranglership. He refused on the ground that it might interfere with his training for the tug of war, for which he had just obtained his blue—and—— It's a great strain making all this up. Do you mind if I stop now?"