"You should discipline her out of being frightened," declared Muriel. "Why make it easy for a child to go to sleep with night-lights and such nonsense? Think of all the insomnia she will have to battle against in future years. Let her learn to overcome——"
Mr. Carmichael was looking so stiff that his wife intervened.
"Dear Muriel! You do talk such nonsense. Robin did not mean that."
"No?" Muriel turned limpid eyes on Cyprian. "And what line did you take with her?"
"We talked a little," he said, blinking quickly at the carpet, "and presently she fell asleep. I must thank her for affording me the excuse to get rid of a slight headache."
"I thought you were not yourself at dinner," said Mrs. Porter forgivingly. "You are fond of children?"
"No," said Cyprian, somewhat bluntly. He was not fond of children.
"Really! Ferlie is so devoted to you."
"She is about the first child I have ever addressed, and will probably be the last."
"If she were a normal specimen, the first time you addressed her would have been the last," said Muriel, "I have heard you doing it. I am glad when you are with me you talk down to my level, Cyprian. I have not Ferlie's pristine trust in dictionarial expressions. I should imagine that you were swearing at me half the time."