“To go away, Emily? What for?”
“Well, he is young . . .”
“Yes, but we all know the wretched life they live in town, you know how it is, dancing all night and only getting up for lunch, you know how it is. I never could stand it when I was a girl. My dear, I don’t understand it.”
“I think I do. I’m his mother, you see. He needs a change.”
“Listen, Emily, why not take him to Eastbourne for a few weeks? Such air you get at Eastbourne.”
“It is not that, besides there are other things. No, he—we must go to London.”
“To London! For how long? But think of the noise. Do you mean for the winter and then come down here in the summer?”
“We could not afford it, Mabel. You see, so much of the money went in those shares which are worthless now. No, it would have to be for good.”
“My dear Emily, no, I cannot allow you to do this, you know. No. Think of the Town Council, and the Board of Guardians, what would they do without you? All it would mean is that the Walkers woman would take charge of the whole thing, Colonel Shoton is such a hopeless creature. And think of the village, Emily. Oh, you can’t go. It is probably only a passing whim of the boy’s you know. Take him to Eastbourne to get over it, my dear. Don’t do this thing recklessly. When you and I were young we had these moments ourselves when we wanted to get away. Why even now sometimes I say to myself that it is all too much and that I was happier at Allahabad, you know how it is, only a little restlessness, my dear.”
“It’s more than that, Mabel. I’ve been so wretched about the whole thing.”