Zora rose and looked around her. Then, with a sweep of her umbrella indicating the general dustiness and untidiness of the room:
"The best thing you can do," said she, "is to have the house thoroughly cleaned and put in order. They may be back any day. I'll send in a charwoman to help you."
"Thank you, ma'am," said Wiggleswick, somewhat glumly. Although he had lied volubly to her for his own ends, he stood in awe of her commanding personality, and never dreamed of disregarding her high behests. But he had a moral disapproval of work. He could see no nobility in it, having done so much enforced labour in his time.
"Do you think we need begin now, ma'am?" he asked anxiously.
"At once," said Zora. "It will take you a month to clean the place. And it will give you something to do."
She went away femininely consoled by her exercise of authority—a minor victory covering a retreat. But she still felt very angry with Septimus.
When Clem Sypher came down to Penton Court for the week-end, he treated the matter lightly.
"He knew that he was acceptable to your mother and yourself, so he has done nothing dishonorable. All he wanted was your sister and the absence of fuss. I think it sporting of him. I do, truly."
"And I think you're detestable!" cried Zora. "There's not a single man that can understand."
"What do you want me to understand?"