Now I'm going to
Patagonia."
"Patagonia! That's a long way off."
"We Foreign Office slaves have to be sent a long way off."
"But we heard, John," said Reginald, who did not feel it to be his
duty to stand on any ceremony with his younger cousin, "we heard
that you were going to be married to Miss Trefoil. Are you going to
take a wife out to Patagonia?"
This was a question which he certainly had not expected. "I don't
know how that may be," he said frowning.
"We were told here in Dillsborough that it was all settled. I hope
I haven't asked an improper question."
"Of course people will talk."
"If it's only talk I beg pardon. Whatever concerns Bragton is
interesting to me, and from the way in which I heard this I thought
it was a certainty. Patagonia;--well! You don't want an assistant
private secretary I suppose? I should like to see Patagonia."
"We are not allowed to appoint those gentlemen ourselves."
"And I suppose I should be too old to get in at the bottom. It
seems a long way off for a man who is the owner of Bragton."
"It is a long way."
"And what will you do with the old place?"
"There's no one to live there. If you were married you might
perhaps take it" This was of course said in joke, as old Mrs.
Morton would have thought Bragton to be disgraced for ever, even by
such a proposition.
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