, for the sake of something to do, they ordered the motor and
drove out to Ranelagh to see the polo.

Then came dinner, and with it in quiet, unsuspected guise the news
that would presently change their lives. Henry Pym, a small, dark man,
with the keen eyes and quiet manner that so often go with success,
told them that because there would be practically no London season at
all that year he had decided to go back to Africa, and he would take a
country house for them anywhere they liked and leave them there for
the summer with Aunt Emily.

Aunt Emily nodded her head with an approving air. A quiet country
house instead of a season's racketing was quite to her taste, and she
felt dear Henry, as ever, was showing the marked common sense for
which she humbly worshipped him afar off. Meryl looked at her father
inquiringly and with a thoughtful air. Diana remarked, rather
disgustedly, "O, uncle, what rot! Why should we be condemned to some
dull little hole of an English village, just because there is to be no
London season?"

"My dear Diana," remonstrated the lady who was supposed to fill the
post of mother and chaperon to both girls, and was therefore in duty
bound to express disapproval of Diana's English, "you surely do not
imagine your uncle admires that unladylike mode of speech!"

"But he understands it," said the incorrigible, "and that is far more
important."

There was a decided gleam in the millionaire's eyes as he inquired,
"And what do you want to do instead, Di?"

"Oh, yacht, or travel, or go in an aeroplane, or anything. I simply
can't sit down in an English village until further notice."

Then Meryl spoke:

"Why can't we go back with you to South Africa, father?"

"Because I'm going to take a trip north. I'm going up to Rhodesia
about some mining claims."

"And couldn't we go there with you?"

"Not very well. I'm not going to the towns, except for a day or two. I
shall have to do a lot of trekking in the wild, outlying parts. You
couldn't manage that."

"Of course not," murmured Aunt Emily. "How dreadful that you should
have to go, Henry! Why, there are lions and elephants and things, and
the natives are savages; surely no mines are worth running such
risks?"

"Not quite as bad as all that, Emily, but hardly the place for you and
the girls. Would you all like to go to Norway?"

"And fish?..." from Diana, with a sudden light in her eyes.

"You could have a yacht and take a party," he continued