“Let us have them down, and take them hunting!”
“How exciting!” exclaimed Mrs. Ascott-Smith. “What sport!”
The Major looked at her reprovingly. “It would be as I said,” he observed.
“But it would be rather interesting,” said Mrs. Brawle.
“It might,” said the Major, “it might be interesting.”
“It would be ripping!” said Lord Frederic. “But how can we manage it?”
“I’ll mount them,” said the Major with a grim smile. “My word! They shall have the pick of my stable though I have to spend a month rebreaking horses that have run away.”
“But it isn’t the difficulty of mounting them,” said Lord Frederic. “You see I’ve never met any of these chaps.” He turned to Mr. Carteret with a sudden inspiration. “Are any of them friends of yours?” he asked.
Mrs. Ascott-Smith looked anxiously at Mr. Carteret, as if she feared that it would develop that some of the people in the show were his cousins.