. And now that Cicely had married, she might be having children too. He didn’t know⁠—couldn’t tell! Nobody thought of anything but spending money in these days, and racing about, and having what they called “a good time.” A motorcar went past the window. Ugly great lumbering thing, making all that racket! But there it was, the country rattling to the dogs! People in such a hurry that they couldn’t even care for style⁠—a neat turnout like his barouche and bays was worth all those newfangled things. And consols at 116! There must be a lot of money in the country. And now there was this old Kruger! They had tried to keep old Kruger from him. But he knew better; there would be a pretty kettle of fish out there! He had known how it would be when that fellow Gladstone⁠—dead now, thank God! made such a mess of it after that dreadful business at Majuba. He shouldn’t wonder if the Empire split up and went to pot. And this vision of the Empire going to pot filled a full quarter of an hour with qualms of the most serious character. He had eaten a poor lunch because of them. But it was after lunch that the real disaster to his nerves occurred. He had been dozing when he became aware of voices⁠—low voices. Ah! they never told him anything! Winifred’s and her mother’s.