"I was wondering who should take her."
"Take her? Isn't she old enough to take herself?"
"It is one of my rules," said Philip sublimely, "that Lily should not go about alone. I have never allowed her to travel by herself, and I shouldn't dream of letting her begin by a journey to Italy."
"Of course, if she's never travelled by herself, she can't begin by going all that way. Our kiddies always go about together—but perhaps one by herself may be different. Only it seems a pity she should be so helpless at her age."
Philip looked offended as he always did at any form of criticism.
"You could send a maid with her."
"My sister's establishment would probably not admit of an additional servant."
"She could see Lily into the train in Paris, and then come back. Come, you wouldn't mind her going straight through in a ladies' carriage by herself, would you?" said Ethel persuasively.
Philip reluctantly conceded that this might be permitted, less because the idea appeared to him satisfactory, than because he had just thought of a fresh objection to the whole scheme, and was desirous of bringing it forward immediately.
"I should be sorry if Lily made her friends amongst Roman Catholics, I must admit."