'I have a better opinion of Lance.'
'And justly. But what he wants to do is to leave the old house to Madame, and betake himself to Mrs. Froggatt. He says—truly enough—that every evening he has free of his choir-practice, penny readings, and all the rest of it, he should go out to look her up, and that this would simplify the matter, and nothing would do the poor old lady so much good as seeing him.'
'That's true; but to be going out there at all times, and in all weathers!'
'That is nuts to him! Don't you know he has got a velocipede fever? He has set up a thing that he calls Plato.'
'Un play toe, I should have thought.'
'It is Plato, because Mrs. Harewood announced that he and Bill had come all the way to Minsterham, each upon his own philosopher.'
'I declare they make up things for that poor woman.'
'Or she makes them on purpose for their diversion; but at any rate, Plato is lord of the ascendant just now, and demands exercise as if he were flesh and blood. I own I was glad to see the boy in a craze again.'
'And letting Pur alone. It was very droll that the passion for making that diurnal instead of weekly, set in with him just at the same age that it did with you.'
'Yes. I am much obliged to Alda for nipping my plans in the bud.'