Magdalen consulted Agatha whether to send young Delrio a card for the
garden party; but they decided that it was too late for an invitation
to be sent, though a spoken one might have been possible. Besides,
it was not likely to be pleasant to a stranger who knew no one but
the Flights and Hendersons, and those professionally. Agatha told
her sisters, and with one voice they declared that they would not see
him patronised; while Agatha's acute senses doubted whether Vera's
objection was not secretly based on the embarrassment of a double
flirtation with him and with Wilfred Merrifield.

Indeed, Vera told her gaily: "Only think, Nag, I did have a jolly
ride on the M.A.'s bike after all."

"Indeed! Then she lent it to you."

"Not she! But she and the little kid were safe gone to Avoncester,
and Paula was with her dear Sisters, so Will and I took a jolly spin
along the cliff road; and it was such screaming fun. Only once we
thought we saw old Sir Jasper coming, and we got behind a barn, but
it turned out to be only a tripper, and we had such a laugh."

"Paula does not know?"

"What would be the good of telling her, with her little nun's
schoolgirl mind? She would only make no end of a fuss about a mere
bit of fun and nonsense."

"I think if Wilfred Merrifield was afraid to meet his father, it
showed a sense of wrong."