“Oh, Colin, how disgusting!” said she. “I hope you’ve said you don’t want his boat any more.”
“I’ve said nothing of the kind. I want it every day.”
Violet had nothing to say to this, and Colin felt his irritation at her rising.
“Well, what is it?” he said. “Why shouldn’t Nino get drunk?”
“But you shouldn’t have let him, Colin,” said she. “It’s coarse.”
“But I come of a low family,” said he. “Viagi one side and Stanier on the other. How many generations of Staniers have got drunk most nights of their lives?”
Violet stopped at the gate. “What would you think of me, Colin, if I took that little girl who helps in the kitchen and made her drunk?” she asked.
“I should think you were a very odd young woman,” said Colin. “But I should be all for your doing what you wanted to.”
“Whatever it is?”
“Don’t you think so? Most people don’t want to do anything at all; it’s certainly better to do anything than nothing. You may make Maria drunk as often as you please provided you assure me that you really like it.”