precious time

than he had been able to manage before:
　　"I'm afraid we don't know each other as well as we ought to, seeing I'm your guardian as well as your godfather. Difficult for me, you know –difficult for a man who's an old bufferlike me – to know what a girl wants – at least – I mean to know what a girl ought tohave. Schools and then after school – what they used to callfinishing in my day. But now, I suppose it's all more serious.Careers eh? Jobs? All that? We'll have to have talk about allthat sometimes. Anything in particular you want to do?"
　　"I suppose I shall take a secretarial course,"said Elvira without enthusiasm.
　　"Oh. You want to be a secretary?"
　　"Not particularly –”
　　"Oh – well, then –”
　　"It's just what youstart with," Elvira explained.