‘I’m not dressed,’ replied Birkin. ‘And you know Gerald stickles for convention.’

‘I don’t stickle for it,’ said Gerald. ‘But if you’d got as sick as I have of rowdy go-as-you-please in the house, you’d prefer it if people were peaceful and conventional, at least at meals.’

‘All right,’ said Birkin.

‘But can’t we wait for you while you dress?’ persisted Hermione.

‘If you like.’

He rose to go indoors. Ursula said she would take her leave.

‘Only,’ she said, turning to Gerald, ‘I must say that, however man is lord of the beast and the fowl, I still don’t