第6章

"Asfarasvaluegoes，"saidVeraafterashortpause，"thereismoreinBetsy\'scottagethaninanyotherhouseformilesround。"

"Nonsense，"saidtheaunt；"shepartedwithwhateveroldchinawareshehadlongago。"

"I\'mnottalkingaboutanythingthatbelongstoBetsyherself，"saidVeradarkly；"but，ofcourse，youdon\'tknowwhatIknow，andIdon\'tsupposeIoughttotellyou。"

"Youmusttellmeatonce，"exclaimedtheaunt，hersensesleapingintoalertnesslikethoseofaterriersuddenlyexchangingaboreddrowsinessforthelivelyanticipationofanimmediaterathunt。

"I\'mperfectlycertainthatIoughtn\'ttotellyouanythingaboutit，"saidVera，"but，then，IoftendothingsthatIoughtn\'ttodo。"

"Ishouldbethelastpersontosuggestthatyoushoulddoanythingthatyououghtnottodoto-"beganMrs。BebberlyCumbleimpressively。

"AndIamalwaysswayedbythelastpersonwhospeakstome，"admittedVera，"soI\'lldowhatIoughtnottodoandtellyou。"

Mrs。BebberleyCumblethrustaverypardonablesenseofexasperationintothebackgroundofhermindanddemandedimpatiently：

"WhatisthereinBetsyMullen\'scottagethatyouaremakingsuchafussabout？"

"It\'shardlyfairtosaythatI\'VEmadeafussaboutit，"saidVera；"thisisthefirsttimeI\'vementionedthematter，butthere\'sbeennoendoftroubleandmysteryandnewspaperspeculationaboutit。It\'sratheramusingtothinkofthecolumnsofconjectureinthePressandthepoliceanddetectiveshuntingabouteverywhereathomeandabroad，andallthewhilethatinnocent-lookinglittlecottagehasheldthesecret。"

"Youdon\'tmeantosayit\'stheLouvrepicture，LaSomethingorother，thewomanwiththesmile，thatdisappearedabouttwoyearsago？"exclaimedtheauntwithrisingexcitement。

"Ohno，notthat，"saidVera，"butsomethingquiteasimportantandjustasmysterious-ifanything，rathermorescandalous。"

"NottheDublin-？"

Veranodded。

"Thewholejollylotofthem。"

"InBetsy\'scottage？Incredible！"

"OfcourseBetsyhasn\'tanideaastowhattheyare，"saidVera；"shejustknowsthattheyaresomethingvaluableandthatshemustkeepquietaboutthem。I

foundoutquitebyaccidentwhattheywereandhowtheycametobethere。Yousee，thepeoplewhohadthemwereattheirwits\'endtoknowwheretostowthemawayforsafekeeping，andsomeonewhowasmotoringthroughthevillagewasstruckbythesnuglonelinessofthecottageandthoughtitwouldbejustthething。Mrs。LamperarrangedthematterwithBetsyandsmuggledthethingsin。"

"Mrs。Lamper？"

"Yes；shedoesalotofdistrictvisiting，youknow。"

"Iamquiteawarethatshetakessoupandflannelandimprovingliteraturetothepoorercottagers，"saidMrs。BebberlyCumble，"butthatishardlythesamesortofthingasdisposingofstolengoods，andshemusthaveknownsomethingabouttheirhistory；anyonewhoreadsthepapers，evencasually，musthavebeenawareofthetheft，andIshouldthinkthethingswerenothardtorecognise。

Mrs。Lamperhasalwayshadthereputationofbeingaveryconscientiouswoman。"

"Ofcourseshewasscreeningsomeoneelse，"saidVera。"Aremarkablefeatureoftheaffairistheextraordinarynumberofquiterespectablepeoplewhohaveinvolvedthemselvesinitsmeshesbytryingtoshieldothers。Youwouldbereallyastonishedifyouknewsomeofthenamesoftheindividualsmixedupinit，andI

don\'tsupposeatitheofthemknowwhotheoriginalculpritswere；andnowI\'vegotyouentangledinthemessbylettingyouintothesecretofthecottage。"

"Youmostcertainlyhavenotentangledme，"saidMrs。BebberlyCumbleindignantly。"Ihavenointentionofshieldinganybody。Thepolicemustknowaboutitatonce；atheftisatheft，whoeverisinvolved。Ifrespectablepeoplechoosetoturnthemselvesintoreceiversanddisposersofstolengoods，well，they\'veceasedtoberespectable，that\'sall。Ishalltelephoneimmediately-"

"Oh，aunt，"saidVerareproachfully，"itwouldbreakthepoorCanon\'sheartifCuthbertweretobeinvolvedinascandalofthissort。Youknowitwould。"

"Cuthbertinvolved！Howcanyousaysuchthingswhenyouknowhowmuchweallthinkofhim？"

"OfcourseIknowyouthinkalotofhim，andthathe\'sengagedtomarryBeatrice，andthatitwillbeafrightfullygoodmatch，andthathe\'syouridealofwhatason-in-lawoughttobe。Allthesame，itwasCuthbert\'sideatostowthethingsawayinthecottage，anditwashismotorthatbroughtthem。HewasonlydoingittohelphisfriendPegginson，youknow-theQuakerman，whoisalwaysagitatingforasmallerNavy。

Iforgethowhegotinvolvedinit。Iwarnedyouthattherewerelotsofquiterespectablepeoplemixedupinit，didn\'tI？That\'swhatImeantwhenIsaiditwouldbeimpossibleforoldBetsytoleavethecottage；thethingstakeupagoodbitofroom，andshecouldn\'tgocarryingthemaboutwithherothergoodsandchattelswithoutattractingnotice。Ofcourseifsheweretofallillanddieitwouldbeequallyunfortunate。Hermotherlivedtobeoverninety，shetellsme，sowithduecareandanabsenceofworrysheoughttolastforanotherdozenyearsatleast。Bythattimeperhapssomeotherarrangementswillhavebeenmadefordisposingofthewretchedthings。"

"IshallspeaktoCuthbertaboutit-afterthewedding，"saidMrs。BebberlyCumble。

"Theweddingisn\'ttillnextyear，"saidVera，inrecountingthestorytoherbestgirlfriend，"andmeanwhileoldBetsyislivingrentfree，withsouptwiceaweekandmyaunt\'sdoctortoseeherwhenevershehasafingerache。"

"Buthowonearthdidyougettoknowaboutitall？"

askedherfriend，inadmiringwonder。

"Itwasamystery-"saidVera。

"Ofcourseitwasamystery，amysterythatbaffledeverybody。Whatbeatsmeishowyoufoundout-"

"Oh，aboutthejewels？Iinventedthatpart，"

explainedVera；"ImeanthemysterywaswhereoldBetsy\'sarrearsofrentweretocomefrom；andshewouldhavehatedleavingthatjollyquincetree。"

THEFORBIDDENBUZZARDS

"ISmatchmakingatallinyourline？"

HugoPeterbyaskedthequestionwithacertainamountofpersonalinterest。

"Idon\'tspecialiseinit，"saidClovis；"it\'sallrightwhileyou\'redoingit，buttheafter-effectsaresometimessodisconcerting-themutereproachfullooksofthepeopleyou\'veaidedandabettedinmatrimonialexperiments。It\'sasbadassellingamanahorsewithhalfadozenlatentvicesandwatchinghimdiscoverthempiecemealinthecourseofthehuntingseason。Isupposeyou\'rethinkingoftheCoulternebgirl。She\'scertainlyjolly，andquiteallrightasfaraslooksgo，andI

believeacertainamountofmoneyadherestoher。WhatI

don\'tseeishowyouwillevermanagetoproposetoher。

InallthetimeI\'veknownherIdon\'trememberhertohavestoppedtalkingforthreeconsecutiveminutes。

You\'llhavetoracehersixtimesroundthegrasspaddockforabet，andthenblurtyourproposaloutbeforeshe\'sgotherwindback。Thepaddockislaidupforhay，butifyou\'rereallyinlovewithheryouwon\'tletaconsiderationofthatsortstopyou，especiallyasit\'snotyourhay。"

"IthinkIcouldmanagetheproposingpartrightenough，"saidHugo，"ifIcouldcountonbeingleftalonewithherforfourorfivehours。ThetroubleisthatI\'mnotlikelytogetanythinglikethatamountofgrace。

ThatfellowLannerisshowingsignsofinterestinghimselfinthesamequarter。He\'squiteheartbreakinglyrichandisratheraswellinhisway；infact，ourhostessisobviouslyabitflatteredathavinghimhere。

Ifshegetswindofthefactthathe\'sinclinedtobeattractedbyBettyCoulternebshe\'llthinkitasplendidmatchandthrowthemintoeachother\'sarmsalldaylong，andthenwherewillmyopportunitiescomein？Myoneanxietyistokeephimoutofthegirl\'swayasmuchaspossible，andifyoucouldhelpme-"

"IfyouwantmetotrotLannerroundthecountryside，inspectingallegedRomanremainsandstudyinglocalmethodsofbeecultureandcropraising，I\'mafraidIcan\'tobligeyou，"saidClovis。"Yousee，he\'stakensomethinglikeanaversiontomesincetheothernightinthesmoking-room。"

"Whathappenedinthesmoking-room？"

"Hetrottedoutsomewell-wornchestnutasthelatestthingingoodstories，andIremarked，quiteinnocently，thatInevercouldrememberwhetheritwasGeorgeII。orJamesII。whowassofondofthatparticularstory，andnowheregardsmewithpolitely-

drapeddislike。I\'lldomybestforyou，iftheopportunityarises，butitwillhavetobeinaroundabout，impersonalmanner。"

****

"It\'ssonicehavingMr。Lannerhere，"confidedMrs。

OlstontoClovisthenextafternoon；"he\'salwaysbeenengagedwhenI\'veaskedhimbefore。Suchaniceman；hereallyoughttobemarriedtosomenicegirl。Betweenyouandme，Ihaveanideathathecamedownhereforacertainreason。"

"I\'vehadmuchthesameidea，"saidClovis，loweringhisvoice；"infact，I\'malmostcertainofit。"

"Youmeanhe\'sattractedby-"beganMrs。Olstoneagerly。

"Imeanhe\'shereforwhathecanget，"saidClovis。

"ForwhathecanGET？"saidthehostesswithatouchofindignationinhervoice；"whatdoyoumean？He\'saveryrichman。Whatshouldhewanttogethere？"

"Hehasonerulingpassion，"saidClovis，"andthere\'ssomethinghecangetherethatisnottobehadforlovenorformoneyanywhereelseinthecountry，asfarasIknow。"

"Butwhat？Whateverdoyoumean？Whatishisrulingpassion？"

"Egg-collecting，"saidClovis。"Hehasagentsallovertheworldgettingrareeggsforhim，andhiscollectionisoneofthefinestinEurope；buthisgreatambitionistocollecthistreasurespersonally。Hestopsatnoexpensenortroubletoachievethatend。"

"Goodheavens！Thebuzzards，therough-leggedbuzzards！"exclaimedMrs。Olston；"youdon\'tthinkhe\'sgoingtoraidtheirnest？"

"Whatdoyouthinkyourself？"askedClovis；"theonlypairofrough-leggedbuzzardsknowntobreedinthiscountryarenestinginyourwoods。Veryfewpeopleknowaboutthem，butasamemberoftheleagueforprotectingrarebirdsthatinformationwouldbeathisdisposal。I

camedowninthetrainwithhim，andInoticedthatabulkyvolumeofDresser\'s\'BirdsofEurope\'wasoneoftherequisitesthathehadpackedinhistravelling-kit。

Itwasthevolumedealingwithshort-wingedhawksandbuzzards。"

Clovisbelievedthatifaliewasworthtellingitwasworthtellingwell。

"Thisisappalling，"saidMrs。Olston；"myhusbandwouldneverforgivemeifanythinghappenedtothosebirds。They\'vebeenseenaboutthewoodsforthelastyearortwo，butthisisthefirsttimethey\'venested。

Asyousay，theyarealmosttheonlypairknowntobebreedinginthewholeofGreatBritain；andnowtheirnestisgoingtobeharriedbyagueststayingundermyroof。Imustdosomethingtostopit。DoyouthinkifI

appealedtohim-"

Clovislaughed。

"Thereisastorygoingabout，whichIfancyistrueinmostofitsdetails，ofsomethingthathappenednotlongagosomewhereonthecoastoftheSeaofMarmora，inwhichourfriendhadahand。ASyriannightjar，orsomesuchbird，wasknowntobebreedingintheolivegardensofarichArmenian，whoforsomereasonorotherwouldn\'tallowLannertogoinandtaketheeggs，thoughheofferedcashdownforthepermission。TheArmenianwasfoundbeatennearlytodeathadayortwolater，andhisfenceslevelled。ItwasassumedtobeacaseofMussulmanaggression，andnotedassuchinalltheConsularreports，buttheeggsareintheLannercollection。No，Idon\'tthinkIshouldappealtohisbetterfeelingsifIwereyou。"

"Imustdosomething，"saidMrs。Olstontearfully；

"myhusband\'spartingwordswhenhewentofftoNorwaywereaninjunctiontoseethatthosebirdswerenotdisturbed，andhe\'saskedaboutthemeverytimehe\'swritten。Dosuggestsomething。"

"Iwasgoingtosuggestpicketing，"saidClovis。

"Picketing！Youmeansettingguardsroundthebirds？"

"No；roundLanner。Hecan\'tfindhiswaythroughthosewoodsbynight，andyoucouldarrangethatyouorEvelynorJackortheGermangovernessshouldbebyhissideinrelaysalldaylong。Afellowguesthecouldgetridof，buthecouldn\'tverywellshakeoffmembersofthehousehold，andeventhemostdeterminedcollectorwouldhardlygoclimbingafterforbiddenbuzzards\'eggswithaGermangovernesshangingroundhisneck，sotospeak。"

Lanner，whohadbeenlazilywatchingforanopportunityforprosecutinghiscourtshipoftheCoulternebgirl，foundpresentlythathischancesofgettinghertohimselffortenminutesevenwerenon-

existent。Ifthegirlwaseveraloneheneverwas。Hishostesshadchangedsuddenly，asfarashewasconcerned，fromthedesirabletypethatletsherguestsdonothinginthewaythatbestpleasesthem，tothesortthatdragsthemoverthegroundlikesomanyharrows。Sheshowedhimtheherbgardenandthegreenhouses，thevillagechurch，somewater-coloursketchesthathersisterhaddoneinCorsica，andtheplacewhereitwashopedthatcelerywouldgrowlaterintheyear。

HewasshownalltheAylesburyducklingsandtherowofwoodenhiveswheretherewouldhavebeenbeesiftherehadnotbeenbeedisease。HewasalsotakentotheendofalonglaneandshownadistantmoundwhereonlocaltraditionreportedthattheDaneshadoncepitchedacamp。AndwhenhishostesshadtodeserthimtemporarilyforotherdutieshewouldfindEvelynwalkingsolemnlybyhisside。Evelynwasfourteenandtalkedchieflyaboutgoodandevil，andofhowmuchonemightaccomplishinthewayofregeneratingtheworldifonewasthoroughlydeterminedtodoone\'sutmost。ItwasgenerallyratherareliefwhenshewasdisplacedbyJack，whowasnineyearsold，andtalkedexclusivelyabouttheBalkanWarwithoutthrowinganyfreshlightonitspoliticalormilitaryhistory。TheGermangovernesstoldLannermoreaboutSchillerthanhehadeverheardinhislifeaboutanyoneperson；itwasperhapshisownfaultforhavingtoldherthathewasnotinterestedinGoethe。Whenthegovernesswentoffpicketdutythehostesswasagainonhandwithanot-to-be-gainsaidinvitationtovisitthecottageofanoldwomanwhorememberedCharlesJamesFox；thewomanhadbeendeadfortwoorthreeyears，butthecottagewasstillthere。Lannerwascalledbacktotownearlierthanhehadoriginallyintended。

HugodidnotbringoffhisaffairwithBettyCoulterneb。Whethersherefusedhimorwhether，aswasmoregenerallysupposed，hedidnotgetachanceofsayingthreeconsecutivewords，hasneverbeenexactlyascertained。Anyhow，sheisstillthejollyCoulternebgirl。

Thebuzzardssuccessfullyrearedtwoyoungones，whichwereshotbyalocalhairdresser。

THESTAKE

"RONNIEisagreattrialtome，"saidMrs。Attrayplaintively。"OnlyeighteenyearsoldlastFebruaryandalreadyaconfirmedgambler。IamsureIdon\'tknowwhereheinheritsitfrom；hisfathernevertouchedcards，andyouknowhowlittleIplay-agameofbridgeonWednesdayafternoonsinthewinter，forthree-penceahundred，andeventhatIshouldn\'tdoifitwasn\'tthatEdithalwayswantsafourthandwouldbecertaintoaskthatdetestableJenkinhamwomanifshecouldn\'tgetme。

Iwouldmuchrathersitandtalkanydaythanplaybridge；cardsaresuchawasteoftime，Ithink。ButastoRonnie，bridgeandbaccaratandpoker-patiencearepositivelyallthathethinksabout。OfcourseI\'vedonemybesttostopit；I\'veaskedtheNorridrumsnottolethimplaycardswhenhe\'soverthere，butyoumightaswellasktheAtlanticOceantokeepquietforacrossingasexpectthemtobotheraboutamother\'snaturalanxieties。"

"Whydoyoulethimgothere？"askedEleanorSaxelby。

"Mydear，"saidMrs。Attray，"Idon\'twanttooffendthem。Afterall，theyaremylandlordsandIhavetolooktothemforanythingIwantdoneabouttheplace；theywereveryaccommodatingaboutthenewrooffortheorchidhouse。Andtheylendmeoneoftheircarswhenmineisoutoforder；youknowhowoftenitgetsoutoforder。"

"Idon\'tknowhowoften，"saidEleanor，"butitmusthappenveryfrequently。WheneverIwantyoutotakemeanywhereinyourcarIamalwaystoldthatthereissomethingwrongwithit，orelsethatthechauffeurhasgotneuralgiaandyoudon\'tliketoaskhimtogoout。"

"Hesuffersquitealotfromneuralgia，"saidMrs。

Attrayhastily。"Anyhow，"shecontinued，"youcanunderstandthatIdon\'twanttooffendtheNorridrums。

Theirhouseholdisthemostracketyoneinthecounty，andIbelievenooneeverknowstoanhourortwowhenanyparticularmealwillappearonthetableorwhatitwillconsistofwhenitdoesappear。"

EleanorSaxelbyshuddered。Shelikedhermealstobeofregularoccurrenceandassuredproportions。

"Still，"pursuedMrs。Attray，"whatevertheirownhomelifemaybe，aslandlordsandneighbourstheyareconsiderateandobliging，soIdon\'twanttoquarrelwiththem。Besides，ifRonniedidn\'tplaycardstherehe\'dbeplayingsomewhereelse。"

"Notifyouwerefirmwithhim，"saidEleanor"I

believeinbeingfirm。"

"Firm？Iamfirm，"exclaimedMrs。Attray；"Iammorethanfirm-Iamfarseeing。I\'vedoneeverythingI

canthinkoftopreventRonniefromplayingformoney。

I\'vestoppedhisallowancefortherestoftheyear，sohecan\'tevengambleoncredit，andI\'vesubscribedalumpsumtothechurchoffertoryinhisnameinsteadofgivinghiminstalmentsofsmallsilvertoputinthebagonSundays。Iwouldn\'tevenlethimhavethemoneytotipthehuntservantswith，butsentitbypostalorder。

Hewasfuriouslysulkyaboutit，butIremindedhimofwhathappenedtothetenshillingsthatIgavehimfortheYoungMen\'sEndeavourLeague\'Self-DenialWeek。\'"

"Whatdidhappentoit？"askedEleanor。

"Well，Ronniedidsomepreliminaryendeavouringwithit，onhisownaccount，inconnectionwiththeGrandNational。Ifithadcomeoff，asheexpressedit，hewouldhavegiventheLeaguetwenty-fiveshillingsandnettedacomfortablecommissionforhimself；asitwas，thattenshillingswasoneofthethingstheLeaguehadtodenyitself。SincethenI\'vebeencarefulnottolethimhaveapennypieceinhishands。"

"He\'llgetroundthatinsomeway，"saidEleanorwithquietconviction；"he\'llsellthings。"

"Mydear，he\'sdoneallthatistobedoneinthatdirectionalready。He\'sgotridofhiswrist-watchandhishuntingflaskandbothhiscigarettecases，andI

shouldn\'tbesurprisedifhe\'swearingimitation-goldsleevelinksinsteadofthosehisAuntRhodagavehimonhisseventeenthbirthday。Hecan\'tsellhisclothes，ofcourse，excepthiswinterovercoat，andI\'velockedthatupinthecamphorcupboardonthepretextofpreservingitfrommoth。Ireallydon\'tseewhatelsehecanraisemoneyon。IconsiderthatI\'vebeenbothfirmandfar-

seeing。"

"HashebeenattheNorridrumslately？"askedEleanor。

"Hewasthereyesterdayafternoonandstayedtodinner，"saidMrs。Attray。"Idon\'tquiteknowwhenhecamehome，butIfancyitwaslate。"

"Thendependonithewasgambling，"saidEleanor，withtheassuredairofonewhohasfewideasandmakesthemostofthem。"Latehoursinthecountryalwaysmeangambling。"

"Hecan\'tgambleifhehasnomoneyandnochanceofgettingany，"arguedMrs。Attray；"evenifoneplaysforsmallstakesonemusthaveadecentprospectofpayingone\'slosses。"

"HemayhavesoldsomeoftheAmherstpheasantchicks，"suggestedEleanor；"theywouldfetchabouttenortwelveshillingseach，Idaresay。"

"Ronniewouldn\'tdosuchathing，"saidMrs。Attray；

"andanyhowIwentandcountedthemthismorningandthey\'reallthere。No，"shecontinued，withthequietsatisfactionthatcomesfromasenseofpainstakingandmeritedachievement，"IfancythatRonniehadtocontenthimselfwiththeroleofonlookerlastnight，asfarasthecard-tablewasconcerned。"

"Isthatclockright？"askedEleanor，whoseeyeshadbeenstrayingrestlesslytowardsthemantel-pieceforsomelittletime；"lunchisusuallysopunctualinyourestablishment。"

"Threeminutespastthehalf-hour，"exclaimedMrs。

Attray；"cookmustbepreparingsomethingunusuallysumptuousinyourhonour。Iamnotinthesecret；I\'vebeenoutallthemorning，youknow。"

Eleanorsmiledforgivingly。AspecialeffortbyMrs。Attray\'scookwasworthwaitingafewminutesfor。

Asamatteroffact，theluncheonfare，whenitmadeitstardyappearance，wasdistinctlyunworthyofthereputationwhichthejustly-treasuredcookhadbuiltupforherself。Thesoupalonewouldhavesufficedtocastagloomoveranymealthatithadinaugurated，anditwasnotredeemedbyanythingthatfollowed。Eleanorsaidlittle，butwhenshespoketherewasahintoftearsinhervoicethatwasfarmoreeloquentthanoutspokendenunciationwouldhavebeen，andeventheinsouciantRonaldshowedtracesofdepressionwhenhetastedtherognonsSaltikoff。

"NotquitethebestluncheonI\'veenjoyedinyourhouse，"saidEleanoratlast，whenherfinalhopehadflickeredoutwiththesavoury。

"Mydear，it\'stheworstmealI\'vesatdowntoforyears，"saidherhostess；"thatlastdishtastedprincipallyofredpepperandwettoast。I\'mawfullysorry。Isanythingthematterinthekitchen，Pellin？"

sheaskedoftheattendantmaid。

"Well，ma\'am，thenewcookhadn\'thardlytimetoseetothingsproperly，cominginsosudden-"commencedPellinbywayofexplanation。

"Thenewcook！"screamedMrs。Attray。

"ColonelNorridrum\'scook，ma\'am，"saidPellin。

"Whatonearthdoyoumean？WhatisColonelNorridrum\'scookdoinginmykitchen-andwhereismycook？"

"PerhapsIcanexplainbetterthanPellincan，"saidRonaldhurriedly；"thefactis，IwasdiningattheNorridrums\'yesterday，andtheywerewishingtheyhadaswellcooklikeyours，justforto-dayandto-morrow，whilethey\'vegotsomegourmetstayingwiththem：theirowncookisnoearthlygood-well，you\'veseenwhatsheturnsoutwhenshe\'satallflurried。SoIthoughtitwouldberathersportingtoplaythematbaccaratfortheloanofourcookagainstamoneystake，andIlost，that\'sall。Ihavehadrottenluckatbaccaratallthisyear。"

Theremainderofhisexplanation，ofhowhehadassuredthecooksthatthetemporarytransferhadhismother\'ssanction，andhadsmuggledtheoneoutandtheotherinduringthematernalabsence，wasdrownedintheoutcryofscandalisedupbraiding。

"IfIhadsoldthewomanintoslaverytherecouldn\'thavebeenabiggerfussaboutit，"heconfidedafterwardstoBertieNorridrum，"andEleanorSaxelbyragedandrampedthelouderofthetwo。Itellyouwhat，I\'llbetyoutwooftheAmherstpheasantstofiveshillingsthatsherefusestohavemeasapartneratthecroquettournament。We\'redrawntogether，youknow。"

Thistimehewonhisbet。

CLOVISONPARENTALRESPONSIBILITIES

MARIONEGGELBYsattalkingtoClovisontheonlysubjectthatsheeverwillinglytalkedabout-heroffspringandtheirvariedperfectionsandaccomplishments。Cloviswasnotinwhatcouldbecalledareceptivemood；theyoungergenerationofEggelby，depictedintheglowingimprobablecoloursofparentimpressionism，arousedinhimnoenthusiasm。Mrs。

Eggelby，ontheotherhand，wasfurnishedwithenthusiasmenoughfortwo。

"YouwouldlikeEric，"shesaid，argumentativelyratherthanhopefully。ClovishadintimatedveryunmistakablythathewasunlikelytocareextravagantlyforeitherAmyorWillie。"Yes，IfeelsureyouwouldlikeEric。Everyonetakestohimatonce。Youknow，healwaysremindsmeofthatfamouspictureoftheyouthfulDavid-Iforgetwhoit\'sby，butit\'sverywellknown。"

"Thatwouldbesufficienttosetmeagainsthim，ifIsawmuchofhim，"saidClovis。"Justimagineatauctionbridge，forinstance，whenonewastryingtoconcentrateone\'smindonwhatone\'spartner\'soriginaldeclarationhadbeen，andtorememberwhatsuitsone\'sopponentshadoriginallydiscarded，whatitwouldbeliketohavesomeonepersistentlyremindingoneofapictureoftheyouthfulDavid。Itwouldbesimplymaddening。IfEricdidthatIshoulddetesthim。"

"Ericdoesn\'tplaybridge，"saidMrs。Eggelbywithdignity。

"Doesn\'the？"askedClovis；"whynot？"

"Noneofmychildrenhavebeenbroughtuptoplaycardgames，"saidMrs。Eggelby；"draughtsandhalmaandthosesortsofgamesIencourage。Ericisconsideredquiteawonderfuldraughts-player。"

"Youarestrewingdreadfulrisksinthepathofyourfamily，"saidClovis；"afriendofminewhoisaprisonchaplaintoldmethatamongtheworstcriminalcasesthathavecomeunderhisnotice，mencondemnedtodeathortolongperiodsofpenalservitude，therewasnotasinglebridge-player。Ontheotherhand，heknewatleasttwoexpertdraughts-playersamongthem。"

"Ireallydon\'tseewhatmyboyshavegottodowiththecriminalclasses，"saidMrs。Eggelbyresentfully。

"Theyhavebeenmostcarefullybroughtup，Icanassureyouthat。"

"Thatshowsthatyouwerenervousastohowtheywouldturnout，"saidClovis。"Now，mymotherneverbotheredaboutbringingmeup。ShejustsawtoitthatI

gotwhackedatdecentintervalsandwastaughtthedifferencebetweenrightandwrong；thereissomedifference，youknow，butI\'veforgottenwhatitis。"

"Forgottenthedifferencebetweenrightandwrong！"

exclaimedMrs。Eggelby。

"Well，yousee，Itookupnaturalhistoryandawholelotofothersubjectsatthesametime，andonecan\'tremembereverything，canone？IusedtoknowthedifferencebetweentheSardiniandormouseandtheordinarykind，andwhetherthewry-neckarrivesatourshoresearlierthanthecuckoo，ortheotherwayround，andhowlongthewalrustakesingrowingtomaturity；I

daresayyouknewallthosesortsofthingsonce，butI

betyou\'veforgottenthem。"

"Thosethingsarenotimportant，"saidMrs。Eggelby，"but-"

"Thefactthatwe\'vebothforgottenthemprovesthattheyareimportant，"saidClovis；"youmusthavenoticedthatit\'salwaystheimportantthingsthatoneforgets，whilethetrivial，unnecessaryfactsoflifestickinone\'smemory。There\'smycousin，EdithaClubberley，forinstance；Icanneverforgetthatherbirthdayisonthe12thofOctober。It\'samatterofutterindifferencetomeonwhatdateherbirthdayfalls，orwhethershewasbornatall；eitherfactseemstomeabsolutelytrivial，orunnecessary-I\'veheapsofothercousinstogoonwith。Ontheotherhand，whenI\'mstayingwithHildegardeShrubleyIcanneverremembertheimportantcircumstancewhetherherfirsthusbandgothisunenviablereputationontheTurfortheStockExchange，andthatuncertaintyrulesSportandFinanceoutoftheconversationatonce。Onecannevermentiontravel，either，becausehersecondhusbandhadtolivepermanentlyabroad。"

"Mrs。ShrubleyandImoveinverydifferentcircles，"saidMrs。Eggelbystiffly。

"NoonewhoknowsHildegardecouldpossiblyaccuseherofmovinginacircle，"saidClovis；"herviewoflifeseemstobeanon-stoprunwithaninexhaustiblesupplyofpetrol。Ifshecangetsomeoneelsetopayforthepetrolsomuchthebetter。Idon\'tmindconfessingtoyouthatshehastaughtmemorethananyotherwomanIcanthinkof。"

"Whatkindofknowledge？"demandedMrs。Eggelby，withtheairajurymightcollectivelywearwhenfindingaverdictwithoutleavingthebox。

"Well，amongotherthings，she\'sintroducedmetoatleastfourdifferentwaysofcookinglobster，"saidClovisgratefully。"That，ofcourse，wouldn\'tappealtoyou；peoplewhoabstainfromthepleasuresofthecard-

tableneverreallyappreciatethefinerpossibilitiesofthedining-table。Isupposetheirpowersofenlightenedenjoymentgetatrophiedfromdisuse。"

"Anauntofminewasveryillaftereatingalobster，"saidMrs。Eggelby。

"Idaresay，ifweknewmoreofherhistory，weshouldfindoutthatshe\'doftenbeenillbeforeeatingthelobster。Aren\'tyouconcealingthefactthatshe\'dhadmeaslesandinfluenzaandnervousheadacheandhysteria，andotherthingsthatauntsdohave，longbeforesheatethelobster？Auntsthathaveneverknownaday\'sillnessareveryrare；infact，Idon\'tpersonallyknowofany。Ofcourseifsheateitasachildoftwoweeksolditmighthavebeenherfirstillness-andherlast。ButifthatwasthecaseIthinkyoushouldhavesaidso。"

"Imustbegoing，"saidMrs。Eggelby，inatonewhichhadbeenthoroughlysterilisedofevenperfunctoryregret。

Clovisrosewithanairofgracefulreluctance。

"IhavesoenjoyedourlittletalkaboutEric，"hesaid；"Iquitelookforwardtomeetinghimsomeday。"

"Good-bye，"saidMrs。Eggelbyfrostily；thesupplementaryremarkwhichshemadeatthebackofherthroatwas-

"I\'lltakecarethatyounevershall！"

AHOLIDAYTASK

KENELMJERTONenteredthedining-halloftheGoldenGalleonHotelinthefullcrushoftheluncheonhour。

Nearlyeveryseatwasoccupied，andsmalladditionaltableshadbeenbroughtin，wherefloorspacepermitted，toaccommodatelatecomers，withtheresultthatmanyofthetableswerealmosttouchingeachother。Jertonwasbeckonedbyawaitertotheonlyvacanttablethatwasdiscernible，andtookhisseatwiththeuncomfortableandwhollygroundlessideathatnearlyeveryoneintheroomwasstaringathim。Hewasayoungishmanofordinaryappearance，quietofdressandunobtrusiveofmanner，andhecouldneverwhollyridhimselfoftheideathatafiercelightofpublicscrutinybeatonhimasthoughhehadbeenanotabilityorasuper-nut。Afterhehadorderedhislunchtherecametheunavoidableintervalofwaiting，withnothingtodobuttostareattheflower-

vaseonhistableandtobestaredat（inimagination）byseveralflappers，somematurerbeingsofthesamesex，andasatirical-lookingJew。Inordertocarryoffthesituationwithsomeappearanceofunconcernhebecamespuriouslyinterestedinthecontentsoftheflower-vase。

"Whatisthenameoftheseroses，d\'youknow？"heaskedthewaiter。Thewaiterwasreadyatalltimestoconcealhisignoranceconcerningitemsofthewine-listormenu；hewasfranklyignorantastothespecificnameoftheroses。

"AMYSYLVESTERPARTINGLON，"saidavoiceatJerton\'selbow。

Thevoicecamefromapleasant-faced，well-dressedyoungwomanwhowassittingatatablethatalmosttouchedJerton\'s。Hethankedherhurriedlyandnervouslyfortheinformation，andmadesomeinconsequentremarkabouttheflowers。

"Itisacuriousthing，"saidtheyoungwoman，that，"Ishouldbeabletotellyouthenameofthoseroseswithoutaneffortofmemory，becauseifyouweretoaskmemynameIshouldbeutterlyunabletogiveittoyou。"

Jertonhadnotharbouredtheleastintentionofextendinghisthirstforname-labelstohisneighbour。

Afterherratherremarkableannouncement，however，hewasobligedtosaysomethinginthewayofpoliteinquiry。

"Yes，"answeredthelady，"Isupposeitisacaseofpartiallossofmemory。Iwasinthetraincomingdownhere；mytickettoldmethatIhadcomefromVictoriaandwasboundforthisplace。Ihadacoupleoffive-poundnotesandasovereignonme，novisitingcardsoranyothermeansofidentification，andnoideaastowhoI

am。IcanonlyhazilyrecollectthatIhaveatitle；I

amLadySomebody-beyondthatmymindisablank。"

"Hadn\'tyouanyluggagewithyou？"askedJerton。

"ThatiswhatIdidn\'tknow。Iknewthenameofthishotelandmadeupmymindtocomehere，andwhenthehotelporterwhomeetsthetrainsaskedifIhadanyluggageIhadtoinventadressing-baganddress-basket；

Icouldalwayspretendthattheyhadgoneastray。IgavehimthenameofSmith，andpresentlyheemergedfromaconfusedpileofluggageandpassengerswithadressing-

baganddress-basketlabelledKestrel-Smith。Ihadtotakethem；Idon\'tseewhatelseIcouldhavedone。"

Jertonsaidnothing，butheratherwonderedwhatthelawfulownerofthebaggagewoulddo。

"OfcourseitwasdreadfularrivingatastrangehotelwiththenameofKestrel-Smith，butitwouldhavebeenworsetohavearrivedwithoutluggage。Anyhow，I

hatecausingtrouble。"

JertonhadvisionsofharassedrailwayofficialsanddistraughtKestrel-Smiths，buthemadenoattempttoclothehismentalpictureinwords。Theladycontinuedherstory。

"Naturally，noneofmykeyswouldfitthethings，butItoldanintelligentpageboythatIhadlostmykey-ring，andhehadthelocksforcedinatwinkling。

Rathertoointelligent，thatboy；hewillprobablyendinDartmoor。TheKestrel-Smithtoilettoolsaren\'tuptomuch，buttheyarebetterthannothing。"

"Ifyoufeelsurethatyouhaveatitle，"saidJerton，"whynotgetholdofapeerageandgorightthroughit？"

"Itriedthat。IskimmedthroughthelistoftheHouseofLordsin\'Whitaker，\'butamereprintedstringofnamesconveysawfullylittletoone，youknow。IfyouwereanarmyofficerandhadlostyouridentityyoumightporeovertheArmyListformonthswithoutfindingoutwhoyourwere。I\'mgoingonanothertack；I\'mtryingtofindoutbyvariouslittletestswhoIamNOT-thatwillnarrowtherangeofuncertaintydownabit。Youmayhavenoticed，forinstance，thatI\'mlunchingprincipallyofflobsterNewburg。"

Jertonhadnotventuredtonoticeanythingofthesort。

"It\'sanextravagance，becauseit\'soneofthemostexpensivedishesonthemenu，butatanyrateitprovesthatI\'mnotLadyStarping；shenevertouchesshell-fish，andpoorLadyBraddleshrubhasnodigestionatall；ifI

amHERIshallcertainlydieinagonyinthecourseoftheafternoon，andthedutyoffindingoutwhoIamwilldevolveonthepressandthepoliceandthosesortofpeople；Ishallbepastcaring。LadyKnewforddoesn\'tknowonerosefromanotherandshehatesmen，soshewouldn\'thavespokentoyouinanycase；andLadyMousehiltonflirtswitheverymanshemeets-Ihaven\'tflirtedwithyou，haveI？"

Jertonhastilygavetherequiredassurance。

"Well，yousee，"continuedthelady，"thatknocksfouroffthelistatonce。"

"It\'llberatheralengthyprocessbringingthelistdowntoone，"saidJerton。

"Oh，but，ofcourse，thereareheapsofthemthatI

couldn\'tpossiblybe-womenwho\'vegotgrandchildrenorsonsoldenoughtohavecelebratedtheircomingofage。

I\'veonlygottoconsidertheonesaboutmyownage。I

tellyouhowyoumighthelpmethisafternoon，ifyoudon\'tmind；gothroughanyofthebacknumbersofCOUNTRY

LIFEandthosesortofpapersthatyoucanfindinthesmoking-room，andseeifyoucomeacrossmyportraitwithinfantsonoranythingofthatsort。Itwon\'ttakeyoutenminutes。I\'llmeetyouintheloungeabouttea-time。

Thanksawfully。"

AndtheFairUnknown，havinggraciouslypressedJertonintothesearchforherlostidentity，roseandlefttheroom。Asshepassedtheyoungman\'stableshehaltedforamomentandwhispered：

"DidyounoticethatItippedthewaiterashilling？

WecancrossLadyUlwightoffthelist；shewouldhavediedratherthandothat。"

Atfiveo\'clockJertonmadehiswaytothehotellounge；hehadspentadiligentbutfruitlessquarterofanhouramongtheillustratedweekliesinthesmoking-

room。Hisnewacquaintancewasseatedatasmalltea-

table，withawaiterhoveringinattendance。

"ChinateaorIndian？"sheaskedasJertoncameup。

"China，please，andnothingtoeat。Haveyoudiscoveredanything？"

"Onlynegativeinformation。I\'mnotLadyBefnal。

Shedisapprovesdreadfullyofanyformofgambling，sowhenIrecognisedawell-knownbookmakerinthehotellobbyIwentandputatenneronanunnamedfillybyWilliamtheThirdoutofMitrovitzaforthethree-fifteenrace。Isupposethefactoftheanimalbeingnamelesswaswhatattractedme。"

Diditwin？"askedJerton。

"No，cameinfourth，themostirritatingthingahorsecandowhenyou\'vebackeditwinorplace。Anyhow，IknownowthatI\'mnotLadyBefnal。"

"Itseemstomethattheknowledgewasratherdearlybought，"commentedJerton。

"Well，yes，ithasratherclearedmeout，"admittedtheidentity-seeker；"aflorinisaboutallI\'vegotleftonme。ThelobsterNewburgmademylunchratheranexpensiveone，and，ofcourse，IhadtotipthatboyforwhathedidtotheKestrel-Smithlocks。I\'vegotratherausefulidea，though。IfeelcertainthatIbelongtothePivotClub；I\'llgobacktotownandaskthehallporterthereifthereareanylettersforme。Heknowsallthemembersbysight，andifthereareanylettersortelephonemessageswaitingformeofcoursethatwillsolvetheproblem。Ifhesaystherearen\'tanyIshallsay：\'YouknowwhoIam，don\'tyou？\'soI\'llfindoutanyway。"

Theplanseemedasoundone；adifficultyinitsexecutionsuggesteditselftoJerton。

"Ofcourse，"saidthelady，whenhehintedattheobstacle，"there\'smyfarebacktotown，andmybillhereandcabsandthings。Ifyou\'lllendmethreepoundsthatoughttoseemethroughcomfortably。Thankseverso。

Thenthereisthequestionofthatluggage：Idon\'twanttobesaddledwiththatfortherestofmylife。I\'llhaveitbroughtdowntothehallandyoucanpretendtomountguardoveritwhileI\'mwritingaletter。ThenI

shalljustslipawaytothestation，andyoucanwanderofftothesmoking-room，andtheycandowhattheylikewiththethings。They\'lladvertisethemafterabitandtheownercanclaimthem。"

Jertonacquiescedinthemanoeuvre，anddulymountedguardovertheluggagewhileitstemporaryownerslippedunobtrusivelyoutofthehotel。Herdeparturewasnot，however，altogetherunnoticed。TwogentlemenwerestrollingpastJerton，andoneofthemremarkedtotheother：

"Didyouseethattallyoungwomaningreywhowentoutjustnow？SheistheLady-"

Hispromenadecarriedhimoutofearshotatthecriticalmomentwhenhewasabouttodisclosetheelusiveidentity。TheLadyWho？Jertoncouldscarcelyrunafteratotalstranger，breakintohisconversation，andaskhimforinformationconcerningachancepasser-by。

Besides，itwasdesirablethatheshouldkeepuptheappearanceoflookingaftertheluggage。Inaminuteortwo，however，theimportantpersonage，themanwhoknew，camestrollingbackalone。Jertonsummonedupallhiscourageandwaylaidhim。

"IthinkIheardyousayyouknewtheladywhowentoutofthehotelafewminutesago，atalllady，dressedingrey。Excusemeforaskingifyoucouldtellmehername；I\'vebeentalkingtoherforhalfanhour；she-er-sheknowsallmypeopleandseemstoknowme，soI

supposeI\'vemethersomewherebefore，butI\'mblestifI

canputanametoher。Couldyou-？"

"Certainly。She\'saMrs。Stroope。"

"MRS。？"queriedJerton。

"Yes，she\'stheLadyChampionatgolfinmypartoftheworld。Anawfulgoodsort，andgoesaboutagooddealinSociety，butshehasanawkwardhabitoflosinghermemoryeverynowandthen，andgetsintoallsortsoffixes。She\'sfurious，too，ifyoumakeanyallusiontoitafterwards。Goodday，sir。"

Thestrangerpassedonhisway，andbeforeJertonhadhadtimetoassimilatehisinformationhefoundhiswholeattentioncentredonanangry-lookingladywhowasmakingloudandfretful-seeminginquiriesofthehotelclerks。

"Hasanyluggagebeenbroughtherefromthestationbymistake，adress-basketanddressing-case，withthenameKestrel-Smith？Itcan\'tbetracedanywhere。IsawitputinatVictoria，thatI\'llswear。Why-thereismyluggage！andthelockshavebeentamperedwith！"

Jertonheardnomore。HefleddowntotheTurkishbath，andstayedthereforhours。

THESTALLEDOX

THEOPHILESHLEYwasanartistbyprofession，acattlepainterbyforceofenvironment。Itisnottobesupposedthathelivedonarancheoradairyfarm，inanatmospherepervadedwithhornandhoof，milking-stool，andbranding-iron。Hishomewasinapark-like，villa-

dotteddistrictthatonlyjustescapedthereproachofbeingsuburban。Ononesideofhisgardenthereabuttedasmall，picturesquemeadow，inwhichanenterprisingneighbourpasturedsomesmallpicturesquecowsoftheChannelIslandpersuasion。Atnoondayinsummertimethecowsstoodknee-deepintallmeadow-grassundertheshadeofagroupofwalnuttrees，withthesunlightfallingindappledpatchesontheirmouse-sleekcoats。Eshleyhadconceivedandexecutedadaintypictureoftworeposefulmilch-cowsinasettingofwalnuttreeandmeadow-grassandfilteredsunbeam，andtheRoyalAcademyhaddulyexposedthesameonthewallsofitsSummerExhibition。

TheRoyalAcademyencouragesorderly，methodicalhabitsinitschildren。Eshleyhadpaintedasuccessfulandacceptablepictureofcattledrowsingpicturesquelyunderwalnuttrees，andashehadbegun，so，ofnecessity，hewenton。His"NoontidePeace，"astudyoftwoduncowsunderawalnuttree，wasfollowedby"AMid-daySanctuary，"astudyofawalnuttree，withtwoduncowsunderit。Induesuccessiontherecame"WheretheGad-

FliesCeasefromTroubling，""TheHavenoftheHerd，"and"A-dreaminDairyland，"studiesofwalnuttreesandduncows。Histwoattemptstobreakawayfromhisowntraditionweresignalfailures："TurtleDovesalarmedbySparrow-hawk"and"WolvesontheRomanCampagna"camebacktohisstudiointheguiseofabominableheresies，andEshleyclimbedbackintograceandthepublicgazewith"AShadedNookwhereDrowsyMilkersDream。"