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〃My dear； he's done all that is to be done in that
direction already。 He's got rid of his wrist…watch and
his hunting flask and both his cigarette cases； and I
shouldn't be surprised if he's wearing imitation…gold
sleeve links instead of those his Aunt Rhoda gave him on
his seventeenth birthday。 He can't sell his clothes； of
course； except his winter overcoat； and I've locked that
up in the camphor cupboard on the pretext of preserving
it from moth。 I really don't see what else he can raise
money on。 I consider that I've been both firm and far…
seeing。〃
〃Has he been at the Norridrums lately？〃 asked
Eleanor。
〃He was there yesterday afternoon and stayed to
dinner；〃 said Mrs。 Attray。 〃I don't quite know when he
came home； but I fancy it was late。〃
〃Then depend on it he was gambling；〃 said Eleanor；
with the assured air of one who has few ideas and makes
the most of them。 〃 Late hours in the country always
mean gambling。〃
〃He can't gamble if he has no money and no chance of
getting any；〃 argued Mrs。 Attray； 〃even if one plays for
small stakes one must have a decent prospect of paying
one's losses。〃
〃He may have sold some of the Amherst pheasant
chicks；〃 suggested Eleanor； 〃they would fetch about ten
or twelve shillings each； I daresay。〃
〃Ronnie wouldn't do such a thing；〃 said Mrs。 Attray；
〃and anyhow I went and counted them this morning and
they're all there。 No；〃 she continued； with the quiet
satisfaction that comes from a sense of painstaking and
merited achievement； 〃I fancy that Ronnie had to content
himself with the role of onlooker last night； as far as
the card…table was concerned。〃
〃Is that clock right？〃 asked Eleanor； whose eyes had
been straying restlessly towards the mantel…piece for
some little time； 〃lunch is usually so punctual in your
establishment。〃
〃Three minutes past the half…hour；〃 exclaimed Mrs。
Attray； 〃cook must be preparing something unusually
sumptuous in your honour。 I am not in the secret； I've
been out all the morning； you know。〃
Eleanor smiled forgivingly。 A special effort by
Mrs。 Attray's cook was worth waiting a few minutes for。
As a matter of fact； the luncheon fare； when it made
its tardy appearance； was distinctly unworthy of the
reputation which the justly…treasured cook had built up
for herself。 The soup alone would have sufficed to cast
a gloom over any meal that it had inaugurated； and it was
not redeemed by anything that followed。 Eleanor said
little； but when she spoke there was a hint of tears in
her voice that was far more eloquent than outspoken
denunciation would have been； and even the insouciant
Ronald showed traces of depression when he tasted the
rognons Saltikoff。
〃Not quite the best luncheon I've enjoyed in your
house；〃 said Eleanor at last； when her final hope had
flickered out with the savoury。
〃My dear； it's the worst meal I've sat down to for
years；〃 said her hostess； 〃that last dish tasted
principally of red pepper and wet toast。 I'm awfully
sorry。 Is anything the matter in the kitchen； Pellin？〃
she asked of the attendant maid。
〃Well； ma'am； the new cook hadn't hardly time to see
to things properly； coming in so sudden … 〃 commenced
Pellin by way of explanation。
〃The new cook！〃 screamed Mrs。 Attray。
〃Colonel Norridrum's cook； ma'am；〃 said Pellin。
〃What on earth do you mean？ What is Colonel
Norridrum's cook doing in my kitchen … and where is my
cook？〃
〃Perhaps I can explain better than Pellin can；〃 said
Ronald hurriedly； 〃the fact is； I was dining at the
Norridrums' yesterday； and they were wishing they had a
swell cook like yours； just for to…day and to…morrow；
while they've got some gourmet staying with them： their
own cook is no earthly good … well； you've seen what she
turns out when she's at all flurried。 So I thought it
would be rather sporting to play them at baccarat for the
loan of our cook against a money stake； and I lost；
that's all。 I have had rotten luck at baccarat all this
year。〃
The remainder of his explanation； of how he had
assured the cooks that the temporary transfer had his
mother's sanction； and had smuggled the one out and the
other in during the maternal absence； was drowned in the
outcry of scandalised upbraiding。
〃If I had sold the woman into slavery there couldn't
have been a bigger fuss about it；〃 he confided afterwards
to Bertie Norridrum； 〃and Eleanor Saxelby raged and
ramped the louder of the two。 I tell you what； I'll bet
you two of the Amherst pheasants to five shillings that
she refuses to have me as a partner at the croquet
tournament。 We're drawn together； you know。〃
This time he won his bet。
CLOVIS ON PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES
MARION EGGELBY sat talking to Clovis on the only
subject that she ever willingly talked about … her
offspring and their varied perfections and
accomplishments。 Clovis was not in what could be called a
receptive mood； the younger generation of Eggelby；
depicted in the glowing improbable colours of parent
impressionism； aroused in him no enthusiasm。 Mrs。
Eggelby； on the other hand； was furnished with enthusiasm
enough for two。
〃You would like Eric；〃 she said； argumentatively
rather than hopefully。 Clovis had intimated very
unmistakably that he was unlikely to care extravagantly
for either Amy or Willie。 〃Yes； I feel sure you would
like Eric。 Every one takes to him at once。 You know； he
always reminds me of that famous picture of the youthful
David … I forget who it's by； but it's very well known。〃
〃That would be sufficient to set me against him； if
I saw much of him；〃 said Clovis。 〃Just imagine at
auction bridge； for instance； when one was trying to
concentrate one's mind on what one's partner's original
declaration had been； and to remember what suits one's
opponents had originally discarded； what it would be like
to have some one persistently reminding one of a picture
of the youthful David。 It would be simply maddening。 If
Eric did that I should detest him。〃
〃Eric doesn't play bridge；〃 said Mrs。 Eggelby with
dignity。
〃Doesn't he？〃 asked Clovis； 〃why not？〃
〃None of my children have been brought up to play
card games；〃 said Mrs。 Eggelby； 〃draughts and halma and
those sorts of games I encourage。 Eric is considered
quite a wonderful draughts…player。〃
〃You are strewing dreadful risks in the path of your
family；〃 said Clovis； 〃a friend of mine who is a prison
chaplain told me that among the worst criminal cases that
have come under his notice； men condemned to death or to
long periods of penal servitude； there was not a single
bridge…player。 On the other hand； he knew at least two
expert draughts…players among them。〃
〃I really don't see what my boys have got to do with
the criminal classes；〃 said Mrs。 Eggelby resentfully。
〃They have been most carefully brought up； I can assure
you that。〃
〃That shows that you were nervous as to how they
would turn out；〃 said Clovis。 〃Now； my mother never
bothered about bringing me up。 She just saw to it that I
got whacked at decent intervals and was taught the
difference between right and wrong； there is some
difference； you know； but I've forgotten what it is。〃
〃Forgotten the difference between right and wrong！〃
exclaimed Mrs。 Eggelby。
〃Well； you see； I took up natural history and a
whole lot of other subjects at the same time； and one
can't remember everything； can one？ I used to know the
difference between the Sardinian dormouse and the
ordinary kind； and whether the wry…neck arrives at our
shores earlier than the cuckoo； or the other way round；
and how long the walrus takes in growing to maturity； I
daresay you knew all those sorts of things once； but I
bet you've forgotten them。〃
〃Those things are not important；〃 said Mrs。 Eggelby；
〃but … 〃
〃The fact that we've both forgotten them proves that
they are important；〃 said Clovis； 〃you must have noticed
that it's always the important things that one forgets；
while the trivial； unnecessary facts of life stick in
one's memory。 There's my cousin； Editha Clubberley； for
instance； I can never forget that her birthday is on the
12th of October。 It's a matter of utter indifference to
me on what date her birthday falls； or whether she was
born at all； either fact seems to me absolutely trivial；
or unnecessary … I've heaps of other cousins to go on
with。 On the other hand； when I'm staying with
Hildegarde Shrubley I can never remember the important
circumstance whether her first husband got his unenviable
reputation on the Turf or the Stock Exchange； and that
uncertainty rules Sport and Finance out of the
conversation at once。 One can n