“Oh true! But I meant—if it had been left over at Dover instead of going on to London,” quickly corrected the lady.
The conversation drifted to other topics but was switched back again when Mrs. Alexander remarked: “I was just thinking how nice it would be for the Fabians and Ashbys to tour Great Britain first instead of Europe; then they could use my big car whiles Dodo and I go in my new runabout that I expect to buy immediately.”
“Why, Ma! you know you’re talking—” began Dodo, from the seat in front of her mother, but Mrs. Alexander interrupted instantly.
“Oh yes, deary, I know what you would say! That I must try a new car, first, and get acquainted with it. But I can select a make similar to our big one, can’t I? and that is quite familiar to me.”
“Oh yes, if you want to duplicate our old car, you can do it. But you said you wanted an up-to-date car with all the latest equipment, this time, and such a car won’t seem familiar to you, be——”
“Never mind, Dodo! Our friends are not interested in our old cars, or what we have done with them,” cut in Mrs. Alexander.
So Dodo subsided for the time, while her mother continued: “So there will be ample room for you to tour in my large car, ladies, while Dodo and I use the roadster and follow you.”
“We cannot say, one way or another, Mrs. Alexander, because nothing has been said about a change in the itinerary. It all depends upon Mr. Fabian and Mr. Ashby,” replied Mrs. Ashby, politely.
But Mrs. Alexander was satisfied with the progress she had made by mentioning the tour, and so she left the rest to time.
After a long drive through the highly cultivated countryside that spread out between Dover and London, Angela drove up in front of an imposing mansion on one of the avenues of England’s great city. As a uniformed man came down the wide marble steps to take orders from Angela, Mrs. Alexander sat breathless with pleasure at the success of her maneuvering.