'Oh,' she said innocently, 'I thought they insisted on bearding the lion in his den.'
'Of course I wasn't going to be bothered with a lot of——'
'You don't mean you refused to go out and face them!'
He put on a comic look of terror. 'I wouldn't have done it for worlds! But a friend of mine went and had a look at 'em.'
'Well,' she laughed,'did he get back alive?'
'Yes, but he advised me not to go. "You're quite right," he said. "Don't you think of bothering," he said. "I've looked over the lot," he said, "and there isn't a week-ender among 'em."'
Upon the general laugh that drew Hermione and Captain Beeching into the group, Jean precipitated herself gaily into the conversation. 'Have they told you about Mrs. Freddy's friend who came to tea here in the winter?' she asked Hermione. 'He was a member of Parliament, too—quite a little young one—he said women would never be respected till they had the vote!'
Mr. Greatorex snorted, the other men smiled, and all the women, except Aunt Lydia, did the same.
'I remember telling him,' Mrs. Heriot said, with marked severity, 'that he was too young to know what he was talking about.'
'Yes, I'm afraid you all sat on the poor gentleman,' said Lord Borrodaile.