"
"I don't know how often," said Eleanor, "but it must happen very
frequently. Whenever I want you to take me anywhere in your car I am
always told that there is something wrong with it, or else that the
chauffeur has got neuralgia and you don't like to ask him to go out."
"He suffers quite a lot from neuralgia," said Mrs. Attray hastily.
"Anyhow," she continued, "you can understand that I don't want to offend
the Norridrums. Their household is the most rackety one in the county,
and I believe no one ever knows to an hour or two when any particular
meal will appear on the table or what it will consist of when it does
appear."
Eleanor Saxelby shuddered. She liked her meals to be of regular
occurrence and assured proportions.
"Still," pursued Mrs. Attray, "whatever their own home life may be, as
landlords and neighbours they are considerate and obliging, so I don't
want to quarrel with them. Besides, if Ronnie didn't play cards there
he'd be playing somewhere else."
"Not if you were firm with him," said Eleanor "I believe in being firm."
"Firm? I am firm," exclaimed Mrs. Attray; "I am more than firm--I am
farseeing. I've done everything I can think of to prevent Ronnie from
playing for money. I've stopped his allowance for the rest of the year,
so he can't even gamble on credit, and I've subscribed a lump sum to the
church offertory in his name instead of giving him instalments of small
silver to put in the bag on Sundays. I wouldn't even let him have the
money to tip the hunt servants with, but sent it by postal order.
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