Have you been getting into any mischief ?" Halcyone reluctantly admitted that she had not.

There was, she explained, very little chance of any of an agreeable kind coming her way at La Sarthe Chase.

She had been gardening with William--they had quite tidied the top terrace--and she had been reading French with Aunt Roberta, but the book was great nonsense.
Then she added that she had brought an invitation from the Aunts La Sarthe that Mr.Carlyon's guest should accompany him when he dined with them on the Saturday.

It had become the custom for him to partake of this repast on the same occasions that Mr.Miller did--once a month.
John Derringham frowned under his straw hat which he had pulled over his eyes.

He had not come into the country to be dragged out to bucolic dinner parties.