‘So you’re being divorced,’ said my father. ‘Isn’t that rather unnecessary, after you’ve been happy together all these years?’

‘We weren’t particularly happy, you know.’

‘Weren’t you? Were you not? I distinctly remember last Christmas seeing you together and thinking how happy you looked, and wondering why. You’ll find it very disturbing, you know, starting off again. How old are you – thirty-four? That’s no age for starting. You ought to be settling down. Have you made any plans?’

‘Yes, I’m marrying again as soon as the divorce is through.’

‘Well, I do call that a lot of nonsense. I can understand a man wishing he hadn’t married and trying to get out of it – though I never anything of the kind myself – but to get rid of one wife and take up with another immediately, is beyond all reason. Celia was always perfectly civil to me. I had quite a liking for her, in a way. If you couldn’t be happy with her why on earth should you expect to be happy with anyone else? Take my advice, dear boy, and give up the whole idea.’