"We have," observed the Master in an authoritative guidebook tone, "trains, tramways, carriages----"
"So have we--but even with them it takes a long time to get about London. We can get from one end of Melbourne to the other in a reasonable time, but it's like an African exploring expedition to start round London."
"London," remarked Eustace in a judicious manner, "is not one but several cities. There is the West End, which is devoted to wealth and pleasure, the East End, famous for work and poverty. The City of London proper, noted for its mercantile enterprise and its stock-broking fraternity, and finally the huge shipping town which forms the port of the Metropolis. Every person stays in the special city with which his business is connected, therefore there is no difficulty in getting about one's own particular local town, which is much smaller in the aggregate than Melbourne."
"I understand all that perfectly," replied Victoria, who had listened attentively, "but suppose you chose to live on the outskirts of London, so as to get a breath of country air. In that case if you want to go to a theatre you have to travel for over an hour to get to one."
"People who live as you say, are worshippers of Nature, and go to bed with the sun--they don't want the gas and glare of theatres."
"Oh, anyone can argue that way," said Victoria disdainfully, "so I have nothing to say in reply. Let us talk of something else."
"By all means--the weather."
"And the crops. No! I am not an agriculturist."
"Aunt Jelly," suggested Angus wickedly.
Miss Sheldon turned towards him with a mirthful smile in her bright eyes.