‘Letty is, because I expect it of her, and you can’t refuse to keep her in countenance.’
The girls laughed merrily at this anticipated lordship; but Letty said presently—
‘I believe father will take the paper if I ask him. One is better than nothing, isn’t it, Alfred?’
‘Good. We book Stephen Tew, Esquire.’
‘But surely you mustn’t call him Esquire?’ suggested Adela.
‘Oh, he is yet unregenerate; let him keep his baubles.’
‘How are the regenerate designated?’
‘Comrade, we prefer.’
‘Also applied to women?’
‘Well, I suppose not. As the word hasn’t a feminine, call yourselves plain Letty Tew and Adela Waltham, without meaningless prefix.’