"It is not certain that he is going to stay the night in London."

"Yes it is. Don't fidget. Have you got the wine out? We should have a
dozen of champagne. Mind you make no mistake; '80, that is the wine
you must get. Jimmy is most particular what he drinks, and Alfred has
the most frightful headaches if he drinks anything but the very best.
I hope he'll find the '80 all right."

"That's father's favourite wine; you mean to say that he won't miss
it? Then the port and Burgundy and cherry brandy--I won't take the
responsibility."

"Nobody asked you. All you have to do is to return the keys to Maggie
that you took from her."

"I don't think father will be as angry as you think, Grace; besides
there's no drawing back now the invitations are out. I think it would
be better to tell him that we had a few friends in for tennis. We
needn't tell him who was there--we will suppress the name of the
Southdown Road people; and we can take the bottles out from the back.
The wine won't be missed for a long time, and we will invent some
better excuse before then. We will say that two bottles were drunk at
this party and three at that; and further than that we can't
remember."

"And what about the peaches? There are only a few ripe, and Sally says
she'll want them all. Father has been looking forward to them for
weeks and weeks."