“What of?” said his wife.
“Heaven knows,” said Giles. “As far as I can gather, they’ld be a sort of bufferee. Supposing you wanted to come and scratch me—well, you’ld have to scratch the trustee first. And if I found you were pledging my credit——”
“But I shall,” said Katharine. “Why shouldn’t I? I’m your wife.”
“Only for necessaries, dear heart. No more eighteen-penny hats.”
“Is that the law?” said Mrs. Festival blankly.
“Approximately. But don’t worry. You’ll have plenty to pay for them with. I can’t endow you with all my worldly goods, but you shall have a fair two-thirds.”
“Half,” said Katharine, crossing to the sideboard. “Fair do’s, old fellow. And you must have half mine.”
Captain Festival frowned.
“My dear,” he said shortly, “don’t dither. I buy a dress-suit a year and don’t pay for it. If I did, it’ld be about a pony.” He paused significantly. “If an eighteen-penny hat and a half costs the same as a gent’s dress-suit, how many evening frocks go to the Season?”
Abstractedly Katharine helped herself to kedjeree.