Christmas Pudding and Pigeon Pie by Nancy Mitford Page B

unless we read the whole of Horace, selections, which he has made for us, from Pliny and Virgil, the letters of Julius Caesar, the
Iliad
, most of the Greek Anthology, Gibbon’s
Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
, Burton’s
Anatomy of Melancholy
, and Froude’s
Essays,’
said Paul wildly, and at random. ‘And besides all that he urged on me the importance of coaching Roderick thoroughly in mathematics and European history. Personally I think it seems rather a pity to pin the boy down to his lessons when he could be reaping so much benefit from fresh air and exercise, but you know what these schoolmasters are like. Besides, you must yourself be anxious for him to pass into Sandhurst, and if he is to do so with any degree of certainty we shall, I fear, be obliged to give up more time to our work than you have allowed for on this programme.’
    ‘Very well,’ said Lady Bobbin, ‘I’m sure I don’t wish the boy’s work to suffer, and as you say, I am very anxious that he should pass for Sandhurst. And that reminds me of something I wantedto mention to you – please do all that you can to persuade Roderick that he wants to go into the army. He has an absurd idea of becoming a diplomat, which I should very much dislike. I myself am a soldier’s daughter and a soldier’s wife – ’
    ‘So am I,’ said Paul. ‘At least I am a soldier’s son and my mother was a soldier’s wife.’
    ‘And I particularly wish Roderick to become a soldier, to carry on the tradition in his father’s regiment, so that I shall be very much obliged to you for any influence you may bring to bear in this direction. Now tell me how you intend to arrange your day, and then I must go out.’
    ‘I fear that it will be necessary for us to work from nine to one a.m. Personally, I am a great believer in morning work for young people. I think it most valuable. The whole afternoon will then be free for outdoor exercise – I am glad to hear that there are some squash courts near-by, as we shall be able to play them after it is too dark for riding or golf. We will see how the work is going, but I expect that I shall be obliged to call upon a couple of hours of his time after dinner as well.’
    ‘I see that you intend to be very severe with Roderick, so much the better. The boy has needed a man’s hand for some years. I’m afraid I have been rather inclined to spoil him myself. All right, then, we’ll leave it at that. I should be obliged if you would let me know from time to time how the work is getting on.’
    So saying, Lady Bobbin hurried away to the stables.
    ‘That’s grand,’ said Bobby, when Paul had told him with a good deal of unseemly merriment, the results of his interview. ‘I’m thankful you were quite firm about the morning work. Actually, of course, what I shall do is to tuck up on this sofa; it doesn’t suit my constitution to be awake before lunch time, while you get on with great-grandmamma’s journal. You might read out any juicy bits that you happen to come across. Then the moment lunch is finished we’ll hack over to Mulberrie Farm. Amabelle says there is a groom who can exercise the horses for us,while we play bridge and gossip with her – I’ll tell him to jolly well tire them out, too. If we get back late we’ll pretend that we stopped at Woodford Manor (that’s Major Stanworth’s) for a game of squash and some tea. Mother will be awfully pleased. Well, thanks to you, Paul, old boy, I’m looking forward to the decentest hols, for years.’ And Bobby flung himself on to the sofa, where he immediately fell asleep.
    Meanwhile Paul returned to the journal, and was soon in the middle of that part of it which describes at immense length and in great detail the last weeks and hours of Sir Josiah Bobbin, who died, at the age of sixty-one, evidently from chronic over-eating.
    Aug. 6th, 1878
.
    Spent many happy hours today in the Beloved Sick Room. I occupied some of them by reading aloud from the ‘Idylls of