George had done his best, of course, and now he's out of Congress, and won't run again--so there's Sydney's idea of a big diplomatic position gone for good.

Well, Sydney and your Aunt Amelia are terribly disappointed, and they say they've been thinking for years that this town isn't really fit to live in--'for a gentleman,' Sydney says--and it is getting rather big and dirty.

So they've sold their house and decided to go abroad to live permanently; there's a villa near Florence they've often talked of buying.

And they want father to let them have their share of the estate now, instead of waiting for him to leave it to them in his will." "Well, I suppose that's fair enough," George said.

"That is, in case he intended to leave them a certain amount in his will." "Of course that's understood, Georgie.