“You used to stay with Lady Evelyn at Abbottsleigh in your school holidays. I don’t think I ever really met you, but I used to think how tall and thin you were-and so very much like your grandmother.”

This was not, of course, the most tactful approach. Although perfectly well aware of his resemblance to that formidable lady, it did not please her grandson to be reminded of the fact. Her portrait still dominated the drawing-room at Abbottsleigh with its long pale face, its bony nose, pale eyes, and the sleek fair hair above them.

He said, “So everyone tells me,” and she went on in a rambling inconsequent manner.

“But Georgina was only a little girl then-you won’t remember her, but you will remember my stepson, Johnny Fabian-he was always here a good deal, but perhaps that was later on, because of course there was a family quarrel, wasn’t there, and you stopped coming down. Family quarrels are always so distressing-of course any quarrels are. Your cousin Cicely and her husband-everyone was so glad when that was made up, and I believe they are coming here tonight. My dear mother brought us up never to let the sun go down on our wrath. ‘Kiss and be friends e’er night descends’ was what she used to say. And there was a verse my German governess made me learn-dear me, I hope I can remember it… Ah, yes, I can! She held up her hand where a number of inexpensive and very dirty rings clustered like swarming bees, and quoted:

Und hüte deine Zunge wohl,

Bald ist ein böses Wort gesagt,

Die Stunde kommt, die Stunde kommt,

Wenn du an Gräbern stehst und klagst.

But if you don’t understand German, perhaps I had better translate. Fräulein Weingarten used to make me say it every day: