“On your paper, sir!”
He was staggered by the young man’s impudence.
“My compliments!—But, as I unfortunately fail to share those hopes, I must regretfully refuse the permission you ask for!”
He had only just managed to keep his temper.
Maisie sailed forward to the attack.
“But, Father, you have often told me that when you married Mother you were only a graduate with your first job on the Rostrum! We don’t mind struggling—we should like to struggle—just as you did!”
“Things were different then. That was a long time ago. In this year of nineteen forty-two life is much more difficult than when your mother and I were young.”
“It only seems so to you because you have got old. It isn’t difficult to us young people!” said Maisie, smilingly positive.
He winced under the unconscious cruelty of this remark.