``What does it depend on?''

``Lots of things.''

``Tell me one of them.''

``On your not asking a lot of silly questions.''

``Silly old tart.''

``John. How dare you? What do you mean?''

Delighted by the effect of this sally John broke away from her hand and danced in front of her saying, ``Silly old tart, silly old tart'' all the way to the side entrance. When they entered the porch his nurse silently took off his leggings; he was sobered a little by her grimness.

``Go straight up to the nursery,'' she said. ``I am going to speak to your mother about you.''

``Please, nanny. I don't know what it means, but I didn't mean it.''

``Go straight to the nursery.''

Brenda was doing her face.

``It's been the same ever since Ben Hacket started teaching him to ride, my lady, there's been no doing anything with him.''

Brenda spat in the eye black. ``But, nanny, what exactly did he say?''

``Oh I couldn't repeat it, my lady.''

``Nonsense, you must tell me. Otherwise I shall be thinking it something far worse than it was.''

``It couldn't have been worse ... he called me a silly old tart, my lady.''

Brenda choked slightly into her face towel. ``He said that?''

``Repeatedly. He danced in front of me all the way up the drive, singing it.''

``I see ... well you were quite right to tell me.''

``Thank you, my lady, and since we are talking about it I think I ought to say that it seems to me that Ben Hacket is making the child go ahead far too quickly with his riding. It's very dangerous. He had what might have been a serious fall this morning.''

``All right, nanny, I'll speak to Mr. Last about it.''

She spoke to Tony. They both laughed about it a great deal. ``Darling,'' she said. ``You must speak to him. You're so much better at being serious than I am.''