"Ah, my children. Yes.... Pampered indeed. I agree. The younger generation, of course. Take the cost of education, Claudia. What have I paid in school fees?"
"If the Council schools are all you say, they'd have been quite adequate."
"Your own dexterity isn't the fruit of the Council school," parried Gaythorpe.
"No; it's my own!" cried Claudia.
"Claudia, dear," objected Mrs. Mayne. "Your father and I can hardly be called ordinary people."
They all laughed at this simple interruption. Claudia was instantly deflated. She turned to Olivia.
"Are you going to give your babies any education?" she demanded.
"Well," said Olivia. "Peter doesn't think ordinary education is much good. He thinks it just spoils children to be taught by rote. But then he thinks that better education only teaches them to spend money—not to make it. He was at a public school himself."
"And is he well-educated?" pressed Claudia.
"Oh, he ... of course, he knows a lot. But it isn't very precise knowledge. He can't spell: he's never sure about words like 'separate' or 'receipt.' He's not very good at figures. I have to do the sums as a rule; but then of course that's just knack."