We had the John’s (the only two [who] have not gone away) in to breakfast this morning. They are queer and everything has to be said in the plainest English before they understand, also if Father speaks they both listen and calmly disregard whatever anyone else may be saying to them. The first time I think we had them in. Father wishing to be pleasant asked on if they ‘had a pony to drive?’ ‘No, we have a coachman’ was the squashing reply. I burst, I couldn’t help it. Heaven knows what they thought he meant. ‘I dunno’ — this I may say is their usual remark to any question. ‘I dunno’! though now Father has teased them out of it.
