“You will be sure to forget it, and then Vespasian will get it again.”
“Is it likely I would forget seven pounds, four shillings and sixpence?”
But she did. The children arrived and rioted over Aymer. Master Max bumped his head and had to be consoled with his uncle’s watch, while Charlotte wandered off on a voyage of exploration alone, and finally sat on the floor by the window with her fat legs straight out in front of her, making a doll of one arm by wrapping it up in her dress, and singing to herself.
“She has quite an idea of time already: listen to her, Aymer.”
But Aymer only scoffed at his niece’s accomplishments, and then Nevil came in and went down on his knees to kiss his wife, who was much too occupied with her son and heir to move for him. For a moment all three heads were on a level, and it was only when the long Nevil stood up and Renata was reaching up on tip-toe to put some of the violets in his coat that Aymer’s sense of completeness vanished. Finally the children were carried off and he was alone again. 70
“It’s a lucky thing for me,” he said to himself steadily, “that Nevil married Renata: he might just as easily have married someone I couldn’t endure.”
When Christopher and Mr. Aston returned they found Aymer whistling and drawing ridiculous caricatures of the family on the back of the Times, and he was so outrageously flippant and witty that his father glanced at him suspiciously from time to time.
“Why haven’t you let Vespasian light up?” he inquired.
“I’m afraid to call Vespasian. Renata has been raiding and I shall get a lecture. She’s left her booty, as I told her she would. Christopher, when you have quite finished pretending it’s your duty to draw the curtains, you might run up with this money to her. Put it in that box.”
Christopher came forward rather slowly. He swept the money into the box indicated.