"All I mean," said Jack, "is that Dorothea is not going to divide the week into week-ends, and be twenty-four hours at Meering and then twenty-four at Winston. The master of the house has spoken."
"What a bully!" said Nadine.
"Then I shan't give you a wedding-present," said Jack.
"Darling Papa Jack, you are not a bully. Let's all go down to Meering in a few days, and stop there over Christmas. Then you and Dorothea shall go to Winston, and I shall be left all alone at Meering, and you shall have your horrid shooting-parties and she shall do the flirting instead of me."
"Strictly speaking, will you be all alone at Meering?"
"Not absolutely. I have asked a few friends."
"Who is going to chaperone you all, darling?" said Dodo.
"We shall chaperone each other, as usual."
"That you and Dodo can settle," said Jack. "Good-by: don't quarrel."
"Indeed, that will be all right, Mama," said Nadine, "or I daresay Edith would come. Anyhow, we were often all together before like that in the summer."