"He's an old friend of Mary's," said Wally.
"The boy-friend?" asked Vicky, interested.
"No, not the boy-friend," said Mary. "His people live at the Manor, and I've known him ever since we came to live here. He's a Chancery barrister. You must remember him, surely!"
"No, but he sounds frightfully dull," said Vicky.
"Well, he's a very nice young fellow," said Wally. "And if he wants to marry Mary I shall make no objection. No objection at all .What's more, I shall leave her all my money."
"When you get it," said Ermyntrude, with a chuckle. "I'm sure I hope he will ask Mary to marry him, because it would be what I call a good match, and what's more, the man that gets you, my dear, will be very lucky, whatever his people may say."
"Thank you!" said Mary. "But as he hasn't asked me to marry him, I don't think we need worry about what his people would say, Aunt Ermy." Conscious of her heightened colour, she made haste to change the subject, looking across the table at Vicky, and saying: "By the way, what got you out of bed so bright and early this morning? I heard you carolling in the bath at an ungodly hour."
"Oh, I went out to see if I could get a rabbit!"
Mary's lips twitched. "I thought this was a Sports-Girl Day! Don't tell me you weren't wearing sandals and painted toe-nails, because it would spoil the whole picture for me!"
"But I was!" said Vicky, opening her eyes very wide.