Plentifully."

"Tell me about them."

"No."

"Tell me about your ninnies, then."

"They were men who had nothing better to do," said his sister, feeling
that she was entitled to score this point. "So take warning; you must
work, or else you must pretend to work, which is what I do. Work, work,
work if you'd save your soul and your body. It is honestly a necessity,
dear boy. Look at the Wilcoxes, look at Mr. Pembroke. With all their
defects of temper and understanding, such men give me more pleasure than
many who are better equipped, and I think it is because they have worked
regularly and honestly."

"Spare me the Wilcoxes," he moaned.

"I shall not. They are the right sort."

"Oh, goodness me, Meg--!" he protested, suddenly sitting up, alert and
angry. Tibby, for all his defects, had a genuine personality.

"Well, they're as near the right sort as you can imagine."

"No, no--oh, no!"

"I was thinking of the younger son, whom I once classed as a ninny,
but who came back so ill from Nigeria. He's gone out there again, Evie
Wilcox tells me--out to his duty."

"Duty" always elicited a groan.

"He doesn't want the money, it is work he wants, though it is beastly
work--dull country, dishonest natives, an eternal fidget over fresh
water and food... A nation that can produce men of that sort may well be
proud. No wonder England has become an Empire.

"EMPIRE!"

"I can't bother over results," said Margaret, a little sadly. "They are
too difficult for me. I can only look at the men. An Empire bores me,
so far, but I can appreciate the heroism that builds it up. London
bores me, but what thousands of splendid people are labouring to make
London--"

"What it is," he sneered.

"What it is, worse luck. I want activity without civilisation. How
paradoxical! Yet I expect that is what we shall find in heaven."

"And I," said Tibby, "want civilisation without activity, which, I
expect, is what we shall find in the other place."

"You needn't go as far as the other place, Tibbikins, if you want that.
You can find it at Oxford."

"Stupid--"

"If I'm stupid, get me back to the house-hunting. I'll even live in
Oxford if you like--North Oxford. I'll live anywhere except Bournemouth,
Torquay, and Cheltenham. Oh yes, or Ilfracombe and Swanage and Tunbridge
Wells and Surbiton and Bedford. There on no account."

"London, then."

"I agree, but Helen rather wants to get away from London. However,
there's no reason we