“What was that about being in before nine?”
“You are never to sleep out of the house. You are always to be in it before nine at night, and never to leave it before nine in the morning.”
“That’s a nice condition, upon my word!” I turned to Emily. “What do you think of that? It’s worse than Cardew & Slaughter’s.”
“It does seem rather provoking. But”—there was a twinkle in her eye—“there may be ways of getting out of that?”
“What was that about no man being allowed in the house?”
“No man, under any circumstances, is to be allowed to cross the doorstep; nor, indeed, is anyone, except the lady you have chosen to be your companion.”
“But what about my Tom?”
“Your—Tom? Who is he?”
“Mr. Tom Cooper is the gentleman to whom I am engaged to be married.”
“I am afraid that, by the terms of the will, no exception is made even in his favour.”