“Oh, really? What sort of work do you do?” asked Mrs. Lake of Teresa.
“I just sort papers in an office,” said Teresa, who would have beaten her mother at that moment.
“Really? Don’t you find you need exercise?” said Mrs. Lake. “You had better come and do some hunting in the winter. I have come to the conclusion that the working classes don’t need helping any more; they help themselves to everything they want. Do your girls hunt?” she turned to Mrs. Price.
“Oh, they are quite mad about it,” their mother replied. “Sir David sold his horses before we came. He said he didn’t understand that Mr. Price would have bought any that were good enough for the girls, but some others have been ordered, I believe, and in the meantime we have the three motors to get about in, so we are not really cut off.”
Mrs. Lake was startled almost out of her good behaviour. She regretted for a moment having called so soon, in case it should really be impossible to go on with these people, however rich they were.
“I suppose Sir David is coming back in a year or two?” she said, anxiously.
“Well, that of course, one can’t say,” Mrs. Price replied, “but my husband would have bought the place if he could and he still hopes to—if we find we can afford it, that is,” she added, recollecting certain warnings from her daughters. “We had to draw in our horns very much since the war, like everybody else.”
“Not quite everybody, do you think?” said Mrs. Lake, as she made room for the butler and footman who had come in with tea. “There are some people who have taken a place called Fable near here—perhaps you know them? I think they come from Millport or Poolchester, I forget which. He contracted for something during the war, boots or cholera belts or cigarettes or something, and not only that, but the price of whatever it was is still up. It is rather sad to see the old places go, one by one.”
“I expect they come from Poolchester,” said Mrs. Price. “There is a great deal of that sort of thing there. It is a manufacturing town of course.”
“But such an interesting place,” Susie intervened. “So much life. I went there once to hear some wonderful music, and the faces all looked to me so strong. No, no sugar, thanks,—Teresa, dear, will you take that cup from Mrs. Price?”