"Are we wanted at once?"
"Yes."
"Then, gentlemen, we must yield. We were born too late. The matriarchy has returned. Do you agree to that, Cartmell?"
"Certainly!"
"There was a time when no young lady would have the daring to invade the dining-room and order the men to play games. Games, indeed!"
"Don't start again, father," interrupted Margaret. "I won't budge till you do."
"Just think what you might hear!"
"Oh, I'm not a 'puffick lidy.' They passed away with the patriarchy. Now, come along!"
Games were a success because they were taken seriously. Mr Berrisford asserted that if he must waste time in that particular way he meant to do it properly. So they all exercised great ardour and ingenuity, composed pretty rhymes, and drew the strangest pictures. At the end he insisted, however, that instead of taking famous men beginning with C, they should have infamous people. The test of infamy was to be a referendum. The game began well enough, because no opposition was raised to such people as Cicero or Christopher Columbus. But the inclusion of both Cromwell and Charles I. caused a heated argument and Cartmell was sure that they couldn't both be on one black list.
But Mr Berrisford exposed the crimes of both at great length. Crippen and Calvin both had defenders and the game at last broke up in confusion.