“If only we had a butler!” she murmured dreamily.
Aunt Nettie made as if to speak again, but caught an almost imperceptible signal from her sister.
“Surely, Mary,” she began, “you don't mean to say you're—”
Another almost imperceptible gesture.
“Remember, Nettie, that when there's poison in the system, it is best to let it out as quickly as possible.”
What on earth was Mother talking about?
But Missy was too thrilled by the leniency of her mother's attitude to linger on any side-question—anyway, grown-ups were always making incomprehensible remarks. She came back swiftly to the important issue.
“And may we really have the party here, Mother?”
Mother smiled at her, a rather funny kind of smile.
“I guess so—the rest of us may as well have the benefit.”