Upsidonia

most comfortable of them, after Miriam had chosen hers, w

aid. "After all, there are som

rl, the daughter of well-to-do parents, who had been brought up to a life of wealth and ease. For my part I like to see young girls having a good time, and am not averse to sharing it with them. I was

o draw her out. "It is very kind of you to ma

hings go here," I said. "I have lived all my life in d

of coolness. "We don't live in this way for fun,

whole life of Upsidonia is new to me, poor as well as

our country?" she ask

s very much like Upsidonia in some w

"Where is that? I thought I was rather good at geography; I took a prize in it at schoo

walking for some days. I found myself yesterday

ry interesting. No wonder you look down a little on us Culbutians! But what made you leave that paradise to come here? An

regarded me with curiosity n

Highlander, exactly," I said. "In En

"How extraordinary it is! I must

ap," I said. "You see, everyth

em very extraordinary to you, and I'm afraid rather painful. I wonder you take it a

I said, "but it is not altogether unlike

she said. "I have never heard of any of th

pretty l

d no idea that there were houses like this anywhere. I thought you all lived so

erent. People who lived in a house like this would be considered very for

he said again. "But wouldn'

live in the little houses ar

er classes all liv

e of them in much bigger ones than this; and

said. "I should think it must be rather nice, if all of them do it. Does the dirty s

ple seem to do here. If Lord Potter were to show his face there

e anything to do with the dirty set. My Uncle Blueberry says that the old tradition of Upsidonia

ur unc

of Blueberry.

stmaster-General. Our nobility is for the most part rich, and they live in th

"Don't they all exercis

es. In fact, to make a clean breast of it, we all like to have plenty of money in England, so that we can l

ave been told!" she said. "But I am glad you told me about the eating and drin

d you mustn't run away with the idea that we encourage greediness. But surely, now, you must like l

tfully. "Don't your upper classes live in towns at all?

Our upper classes live there part of the year, if they can affo

e year do they go t

mmer are the times when t

s at its loveliest. What do the

up-leave a few s

ts. Otherwise it seems absurd for people who like

ry pretty par

are not so very differen

leaving this point; "don't you

t added a little primly: "You can be prettily dressed when you are poor, and you

I said. "She would have to please you, and if she di

world. They won't let you do a thing for yourself if they can possibly stop you, and you can't call your life your own. How I envy my cousins sometimes

t you and I going to do what we like this afterno

ough we really belonged to the rich. But I must say that I a

thur, came out of the house at that moment, carrying a tray on which was

. "You can't be so cruel as to expe

I will let you off the hock cup until you have had a set or two; but I thought that both you and Mr. Howard would be able to drink it after yo

upstairs to put on a pair of tennis shoes. When I came down ag

u couldn't have asked me to fetch your shoes," he said. "You and I w

t you want," I said. "I'm not very good at thi

ased me to see him running about here and there in his swallowtail coa

uple of sets it was Mr.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Howard, for playing so badly. I have seldom enjoyed a

by asking if he did not feel inclined for a drink himself. He withered me with his eye, an

queer ideas of behaviour with y

one together. "I know you only meant it for fun," she said, "but

like a drink?" I asked. "You

she said. "That is why I thi

good deal. Mr. Blother

quite capable of emptying the rest of the jug myself, and poured out a second glass, with the

awfully good, and I am sure the servants will adore you. We do our best to treat them well,

n England," I said modestly, and fil

e might get two of the maids to field the balls

eally like to do would be to sit here a little longer, and then have a wander round the g

r, and said, looking away from me: "I am going in now. Mollie will be out

e to wonder what on earth I had