'Oh, yes!'
'Mrs. Trevalla knows him just slightly, father,' said Mervyn.
Lord Barmouth attained a frigid amiability as he said with a smile: 'Used to know him, perhaps you'll say now?'
'That's better, Trix, isn't it?' smiled Mrs. Bonfill.
Lady Blixworth's satirical smile met Trix across the table. Trix felt mean when she did no more than laugh weakly in response to Barmouth's imperious suggestion. She understood what Lady Blixworth meant.
'If we cut everybody who's disreputable,' observed that lady sweetly, 'we can all live in small houses and save up for the Death Duties.'
'You're joking, Viola!' Lady Barmouth complained; she was almost sure of it.
'For my part, if Mr. Fricker will put me on to a good thing—isn't that the phrase, Mortimer?—I shall be very grateful and ask him to dinner—no, lunch; he can come to that without Mrs. Fricker. Why, you used to stand up for them, Sarah!'
'Things are different now,' said Mrs. Bonfill, with a touch of severity.
'Mrs. Bonfill means that circumstances have changed—changed completely,' Lord Barmouth explained.