“Biff ’un again, Johnny, biff ’un again!”
Then she heard her son’s voice raised commandingly, the voice of an officer on the parade ground.
“Shut up, you fellows, at once.”
The noise died down; giggles succeeded.
Lady Selina stood still, listening. She could trust her son to deal drastically with anything approximating to a disturbance in her garden. That such a disturbance should take place amongst her guests filled her with dismay and astonishment.
She was enlightened forthwith by Brian, who entered hurriedly, rather flushed in the face.
“What has happened, Brian?”
“A little scrap, Mums.”
“A little—scrap.” She repeated the words incredulously.
“Yes; Johnny Exton and Gridley.”