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and it would be impossible to replace him at short
notice。 I should have to send to Paris； and the Duke
loves Byzantine omelettes。 It was the one thing we
talked about coming from the station。〃
〃He was one of the strike…breakers at Lord
Grimford's；〃 reiterated Richardson。
〃This is too awful；〃 said Sophie； 〃a strike of
servants at a moment like this； with the Duke of Syria
staying in the house。 Something must be done
immediately。 Quick； finish my hair and I'll go and see
what I can do to bring them round。〃
〃I can't finish your hair； madame；〃 said Richardson
quietly； but with immense decision。 〃I belong to the
union and I can't do another half…minute's work till the
strike is settled。 I'm sorry to be disobliging。〃
〃But this is inhuman！〃 exclaimed Sophie tragically；
〃I've always been a model mistress and I've refused to
employ any but union servants； and this is the result。 I
can't finish my hair myself； I don't know how to。 What
am I to do？ It's wicked！〃
〃Wicked is the word；〃 said Richardson； 〃I'm a good
Conservative and I've no patience with this Socialist
foolery； asking your pardon。 It's tyranny； that's what
it is； all along the line； but I've my living to make；
same as other people； and I've got to belong to the
union。 I couldn't touch another hair…pin without a
strike permit； not if you was to double my wages。〃
The door burst open and Catherine Malsom raged into
the room。
〃Here's a nice affair；〃 she screamed； 〃a strike of
household servants without a moment's warning； and I'm
left like this！ I can't appear in public in this
condition。〃
After a very hasty scrutiny Sophie assured her that
she could not。
〃Have they all struck？〃 she asked her maid。
〃Not the kitchen staff；〃 said Richardson； 〃they
belong to a different union。〃
〃Dinner at least will be assured；〃 said Sophie；
〃that is something to be thankful for。〃
〃Dinner！〃 snorted Catherine； 〃what on earth is the
good of dinner when none of us will be able to appear at
it？ Look at your hair … and look at me！ or rather；
don't。〃
〃I know it's difficult to manage without a maid；
can't your husband be any help to you？〃 asked Sophie
despairingly。
〃Henry？ He's in worse case than any of us。 His man
is the only person who really understands that ridiculous
new…fangled Turkish bath that he insists on taking with
him everywhere。〃
〃Surely he could do without a Turkish bath for one
evening；〃 said Sophie； 〃I can't appear without hair； but
a Turkish bath is a luxury。〃
〃My good woman；〃 said Catherine； speaking with a
fearful intensity； 〃Henry was in the bath when the strike
started。 In it； do you understand？ He's there now。〃
〃Can't he get out？〃
〃He doesn't know how to。 Every time he pulls the
lever marked 'release' he only releases hot steam。 There
are two kinds of steam in the bath； 'bearable' and
'scarcely bearable'； he has released them both。 By this
time I'm probably a widow。〃
〃I simply can't send away Gaspare；〃 wailed Sophie；
〃I should never be able to secure another omelette
specialist。〃
〃Any difficulty that I may experience in securing
another husband is of course a trifle beneath anyone's
consideration；〃 said Catherine bitterly。
Sophie capitulated。 〃Go；〃 she said to Richardson；
〃and tell the Strike Committee； or whoever are directing
this affair； that Gaspare is herewith dismissed。 And ask
Gaspare to see me presently in the library； when I will
pay him what is due to him and make what excuses I can；
and then fly back and finish my hair。〃
Some half an hour later Sophie marshalled her guests
in the Grand Salon preparatory to the formal march to the
dining…room。 Except that Henry Malsom was of the ripe
raspberry tint that one sometimes sees at private
theatricals representing the human complexion； there was
little outward sign among those assembled of the crisis
that had just been encountered and surmounted。 But the
tension had been too stupefying while it lasted not to
leave some mental effects behind it。 Sophie talked at
random to her illustrious guest； and found her eyes
straying with increasing frequency towards the great
doors through which would presently come the blessed
announcement that dinner was served。 Now and again she
glanced mirror…ward at the reflection of her wonderfully
coiffed hair； as an insurance underwriter might gaze
thankfully at an overdue vessel that had ridden safely
into harbour in the wake of a devastating hurricane。
Then the doors opened and the welcome figure of the
butler entered the room。 But he made no general
announcement of a banquet in readiness； and the doors
closed behind him； his message was for Sophie alone。
〃There is no dinner； madame；〃 he said gravely； 〃the
kitchen staff have 'downed tools。' Gaspare belongs to
the Union of Cooks and Kitchen Employees； and as soon as
they heard of his summary dismissal at a moment's notice
they struck work。 They demand his instant reinstatement
and an apology to the union。 I may add； madame； that
they are very firm； I've been obliged even to hand back
the dinner rolls that were already on the table。〃
After the lapse of eighteen months Sophie Chattel…
Monkheim is beginning to go about again among her old
haunts and associates； but she still has to be very
careful。 The doctors will not let her attend anything at
all exciting； such as a drawing…room meeting or a Fabian
conference； it is doubtful； indeed； whether she wants to。
THE FEAST OF NEMESIS
〃IT'S a good thing that Saint Valentine's Day has
dropped out of vogue；〃 said Mrs。 Thackenbury； 〃what with
Christmas and New Year and Easter； not to speak of
birthdays； there are quite enough remembrance days as it
is。 I tried to save myself trouble at Christmas by just
sending flowers to all my friends； but it wouldn't work；
Gertrude has eleven hot…houses and about thirty
gardeners； so it would have been ridiculous to send
flowers to her； and Milly has just started a florist's
shop； so it was equally out of the question there。 The
stress of having to decide in a hurry what to give to
Gertrude and Milly just when I thought I'd got the whole
question nicely off my mind completely ruined my
Christmas； and then the awful monotony of the letters of
thanks： 'Thank you so much for your lovely flowers。 It
was so good of you to think of me。' Of course in the
majority of cases I hadn't thought about the recipients
at all； their names were down in my list of 'people who
must not be left out。' If I trusted to remembering them
there would be some awful sins of omission。〃
〃The trouble is；〃 said Clovis to his aunt； 〃all
these days of intrusive remembrance harp so persistently
on one aspect of human nature and entirely ignore the
other； that is why they become so perfunctory and
artificial。 At Christmas and New Year you are emboldened
and encouraged by convention to send gushing messages of
optimistic goodwill and servile affection to people whom
you would scarcely ask to lunch unless some one else had
failed you at the last moment； if you are supping at a
restaurant on New Year's Eve you are permitted and
expected to join hands and sing 'For Auld Lang Syne' with
strangers whom you have never seen before and never want
to see again。 But no licence is allowed in the opposite
direction。〃
〃Opposite direction； what opposite direction？〃
queried Mrs。 Thackenbury。
〃There is no outlet for demonstrating your feelings
towards people whom you simply loathe。 That is really
the crying need of our modern civilisation。 Just think
how jolly it would be if a recognised day were set apart
for the paying off of old scores and grudges； a day when
one could lay oneself out to be gracefully vindictive to
a carefully treasured list of 'people who must not be let
off。' I remember when I was at a private school we had
one day； the last Monday of the term I think it was；
consecrated to the settlement of feuds and grudges； of
course we did not appreciate it as much as it deserved；
because； after all； any day of the term could be used for
that purpose。 Still； if one had chastised a smaller boy
for being cheeky weeks before； one was always permitted
on that day to recall the episode to his memory by
chastising him again。 That is what the French call
reconstructing the crime。〃
〃I should call it reconstructing the punishment；〃
said Mrs。 Thackenbury； 〃and； anyhow； I don't see how you
could introduce a system of primitive schoolboy vengeance
into civilised adult life。 We haven't outgrown our
passions； but we are supposed to have learned how to keep
them within strictly decorous limits。〃
〃Of course the thing would have to be