neither tolerate nor
understand about a good many of his Keills relations was their
preference for any form of assistance to honest work. He helped them
generously enough, but in his heart of hearts he despised them, though
he did not confess this even to himself.

As he drew near the Manor House he saw Lady Mary walking up and down
outside, evidently waiting for him.

"Where have you been, Miles?" she asked, impatiently. "Pen has been
here, and wanted specially to see you, but she couldn't stay any longer,
as it's such a long run back. She motored over from Malmesbury."

"What did she want?" Miles asked. "She's always in a stew about
something. One of her Pekinese got pip, or what?"

Lady Mary took his arm and turned to walk along the terrace. "I think,"
she said, and stopped. "Where _were_ you, Miles?"

"I strolled down the village to get some tobacco, and then I saw a chap
who'd got his motor stuck, and helped him, and then ..." Here Miles
looked down at his aunt, who looked up at him apprehensively. "I caught
up with Miss Morton and the children, and walked back to Wren's End with
them. There, Aunt Mary, that's a categorical history of my time since
tea."

Lady Mary pressed his arm. "Miles, dear, do you think it's quite wise to
be seen about so much with little Miss Morton ... wise for her I mean?"

"I hope I'm not the sort of chap it's bad to be seen about with...."

"Of course not, dear Miles, but, you see, her position...."

"What's the matter with her position?"

"Of course I know it's most creditable of her and all that ... but ...
when a girl has to go out as a sort of nursery governess, it is
different, isn't it, dear? I mean...."

"Yes, Aunt Mary, I'm awfully interested--different from what?"

"From girls who lead the sheltered life, girls who don't work ... girls
of our own class."

"I don't know," Miles said thoughtfully, "that I should say Pen, for
instance, lives exactly a _sheltered_ life, should you?"

"Pen is married."

"Yes, but before she was married ... eh, Aunt Mary? Be truthful, now."

Miles held his aunt's arm tightly within his, and he stooped and looked
into her face.

"And does the fact that Pen is married explain or excuse her deplorable
taste in men? Which does it do, Aunt Mary? Speak up, now."

Lady Mary laughed. "I'm not here to defend Pen; I'm here to get your
answer as to whether you think it's ... quite fair to make that little
Miss Morton conspicuous by running