She was not satisfied till I spelt out the draft of the cable word by word; and then she rather resented my remarks about the incurable sloppiness of the female mind. As a matter of fact, I cannot claim originality for the phrase; I believe a Liberal Prime Minister coined it as a terse description of his opponents' mental shortcomings. I only borrowed it for the nonce.
"Will—you—lunch—Christmas Day——" I pointed out. "It doesn't say we shall be there to receive him."
"I don't understand it," she said rather wearily. I have since honourably resolved not to be guilty of facetiousness when we are married, but at the moment I was rather pleased with my little stratagem.
"I'm arranging for some one to be there to meet him," I said.
"Who?" she asked.
"A young woman named Sylvia Roden," I answered.
And even then her appreciation of my diplomacy was grudging.