She laughed.
'You are right in a way, but I don't think you can help,' she told him. 'This is quite an important morning—it is Celia's sale.'
He was a little staggered. Her manner was convincing.
'You mean that you are going to a millinery sale?'
'Don't be silly,' she answered. 'The first morning of Celia's sale is the most important event of the season. We have printed cards of invitation, and policemen outside the door to keep away intruders. This isn't any ordinary bargain hunting, you know. This is our one chance to provide ourselves with the elegancies of life at a reasonable cost.'
'For the moment, I gather,' he went on, falling into step with her, 'the affairs of the nation are in the background.'
'Naturally,' she assented.
'At what hour,' he inquired, 'will this function be over?'
She glanced at him suspiciously.
'If I thought you were making fun——'