Miranda flattened him out with a question.
"What becomes of it, then?" and there was no answer. But Miranda was not content with her triumph. She must needs carry the war unwisely into the enemy's camp.
"After all, what in the world can have possessed you, Dennis, to back a silly old mare like Barmaid?"
Dennis Brown saw his opportunity.
"I always back horses with the names of things to kiss," he declared.
Jupp laughed aloud; Sir Chichester chuckled; Miranda looked as haughty as good-humour and a dainty personality enabled her to do.
"Vulgar, don't you think?" she asked of Joan. "But racing men are vulgar. Oh, Joan! have you thought out your book to-day? Can you now begin to write it? Will you write it in the window, with the South Downs in front of your eyes? Oh, it'll be wonderful!"
"What ho!" cried Mr. Jupp. "Miranda has joined the highbrows."
Dennis Brown was too seriously occupied to waste his time upon Miranda's enthusiasms.
"It's a pity we can't get the evening papers," he said gloomily. "I should dearly like to see the London forecasts for to-morrow."