You see"--she shook off the pince-nez to which she had recently taken--"in a few years we shall be the same age practically,and I shall want you to help me.Men are so much nicer than women.""Labouring under such a delusion,why do you not marry?""I sometimes jolly well think I would if I got the chance.""Has nobody arst you?"
"Only ninnies."
"Do people ask Helen?"
"Plentifully."
"Tell me about them."
"No."
"Tell me about your ninnies,then."
"They were men who had nothing better to do,"said his sister,feeling that she was entitled to score this point."So take warning:you must work,or else you must pretend to work,which is what I do.Work,work,work if you'd save your soul and your body.
It is honestly a necessity,dear boy.Look at the Wilcoxes,look at Mr.Pembroke.With all their defects of temper and understanding,such men give me more pleasure than many who are better equipped and Ithink it is because they have worked regularly and honestly.
"Spare me the Wilcoxes,"he moaned.
"I shall not.They are the right sort."
"Oh,goodness me,Meg!"he protested,suddenly sitting up,alert and angry.Tibby,for all his defects,had a genuine personality.
"Well,they're as near the right sort as you can imagine.""No,no--oh,no!"
"I was thinking of the younger son,whom I once classed as a ninny,but who came back so ill from Nigeria.He's gone out there again,Evie Wilcox tells me--out to his duty.""Duty"always elicited a groan.
"He doesn't want the money,it is work he wants,though it is beastly work--dull country,dishonest natives,an eternal fidget over fresh water and food.A nation who can produce men of that sort may well be proud.No wonder England has become an Empire.""Empire!"
"I can't bother over results,"said Margaret,a little sadly."They are too difficult for me.I can only look at the men.An Empire bores me,so far,but I can appreciate the heroism that builds it up.London bores me,but what thousands of splendid people are labouring to make London--""What it is,"he sneered.
"What it is,worse luck.I want activity without civilization.How paradoxical!Yet I expect that is what we shall find in heaven.""And I,"said Tibby,"want civilization without activity,which,I expect,is what we shall find in the other place.""You needn't go as far as the other place,Tibbi-kins,if you want that.You can find it at Oxford.""Stupid--"
"If I'm stupid,get me back to the house-hunting.
I'll even live in Oxford if you like--North Oxford.I'll live anywhere except Bournemouth,Torquay,and Cheltenham.Oh yes,or Ilfracombe and Swanage and Tunbridge Wells and Surbiton and Bedford.There on no account.""London,then."
"I agree,but Helen rather wants to get away from London.However,there's no reason we shouldn't have a house in the country and also a flat in town,provided we all stick together and contribute.
Though of course--Oh,how one does maunder on,and to think,to think of the people who are really poor.How do they live?Not to move about the world would kill me."As she spoke,the door was flung open,and Helen burst in in a state of extreme excitement.
"Oh,my dears,what do you think?You'll never guess.A woman's been here asking me for her husband.Her what?"(Helen was fond of supplying her own surprise.)"Yes,for her husband,and it really is so.""Not anything to do with Bracknell?"cried Margaret,who had lately taken on an unemployed of that name to clean the knives and boots.
"I offered Bracknell,and he was rejected.
