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uncertainty rules Sport and Finance out of the
conversation at once。 One can never mention travel；
either； because her second husband had to live
permanently abroad。〃
〃Mrs。 Shrubley and I move in very different
circles；〃 said Mrs。 Eggelby stiffly。
〃No one who knows Hildegarde could possibly accuse
her of moving in a circle；〃 said Clovis； 〃her view of
life seems to be a non…stop run with an inexhaustible
supply of petrol。 If she can get some one else to pay
for the petrol so much the better。 I don't mind
confessing to you that she has taught me more than any
other woman I can think of。〃
〃What kind of knowledge？〃 demanded Mrs。 Eggelby；
with the air a jury might collectively wear when finding
a verdict without leaving the box。
〃Well； among other things； she's introduced me to at
least four different ways of cooking lobster；〃 said
Clovis gratefully。 〃That； of course； wouldn't appeal to
you； people who abstain from the pleasures of the card…
table never really appreciate the finer possibilities of
the dining…table。 I suppose their powers of enlightened
enjoyment get atrophied from disuse。〃
〃An aunt of mine was very ill after eating a
lobster；〃 said Mrs。 Eggelby。
〃I daresay； if we knew more of her history； we
should find out that she'd often been ill before eating
the lobster。 Aren't you concealing the fact that she'd
had measles and influenza and nervous headache and
hysteria； and other things that aunts do have； long
before she ate the lobster？ Aunts that have never known
a day's illness are very rare； in fact； I don't
personally know of any。 Of course if she ate it as a
child of two weeks old it might have been her first
illness … and her last。 But if that was the case I think
you should have said so。〃
〃I must be going；〃 said Mrs。 Eggelby； in a tone
which had been thoroughly sterilised of even perfunctory
regret。
Clovis rose with an air of graceful reluctance。
〃I have so enjoyed our little talk about Eric；〃 he
said； 〃I quite look forward to meeting him some day。〃
〃Good…bye；〃 said Mrs。 Eggelby frostily； the
supplementary remark which she made at the back of her
throat was …
〃I'll take care that you never shall！〃
A HOLIDAY TASK
KENELM JERTON entered the dining…hall of the Golden
Galleon Hotel in the full crush of the luncheon hour。
Nearly every seat was occupied； and small additional
tables had been brought in； where floor space permitted；
to accommodate latecomers； with the result that many of
the tables were almost touching each other。 Jerton was
beckoned by a waiter to the only vacant table that was
discernible； and took his seat with the uncomfortable and
wholly groundless idea that nearly every one in the room
was staring at him。 He was a youngish man of ordinary
appearance； quiet of dress and unobtrusive of manner； and
he could never wholly rid himself of the idea that a
fierce light of public scrutiny beat on him as though he
had been a notability or a super…nut。 After he had
ordered his lunch there came the unavoidable interval of
waiting； with nothing to do but to stare at the flower…
vase on his table and to be stared at （in imagination） by
several flappers； some maturer beings of the same sex；
and a satirical…looking Jew。 In order to carry off the
situation with some appearance of unconcern he became
spuriously interested in the contents of the flower…vase。
〃What is the name of these roses； d'you know？〃 he
asked the waiter。 The waiter was ready at all times to
conceal his ignorance concerning items of the wine…list
or menu； he was frankly ignorant as to the specific name
of the roses。
〃AMY SYLVESTER PARTINGLON；〃 said a voice at Jerton's
elbow。
The voice came from a pleasant…faced； well…dressed
young woman who was sitting at a table that almost
touched Jerton's。 He thanked her hurriedly and nervously
for the information； and made some inconsequent remark
about the flowers。
〃It is a curious thing；〃 said the young woman； that；
〃I should be able to tell you the name of those roses
without an effort of memory； because if you were to ask
me my name I should be utterly unable to give it to you。〃
Jerton had not harboured the least intention of
extending his thirst for name…labels to his neighbour。
After her rather remarkable announcement； however； he was
obliged to say something in the way of polite inquiry。
〃Yes；〃 answered the lady； 〃I suppose it is a case of
partial loss of memory。 I was in the train coming down
here； my ticket told me that I had come from Victoria and
was bound for this place。 I had a couple of five…pound
notes and a sovereign on me； no visiting cards or any
other means of identification； and no idea as to who I
am。 I can only hazily recollect that I have a title； I
am Lady Somebody … beyond that my mind is a blank。〃
〃Hadn't you any luggage with you？〃 asked Jerton。
〃That is what I didn't know。 I knew the name of
this hotel and made up my mind to come here； and when the
hotel porter who meets the trains asked if I had any
luggage I had to invent a dressing…bag and dress…basket；
I could always pretend that they had gone astray。 I gave
him the name of Smith； and presently he emerged from a
confused pile of luggage and passengers with a dressing…
bag and dress…basket labelled Kestrel…Smith。 I had to
take them； I don't see what else I could have done。〃
Jerton said nothing； but he rather wondered what the
lawful owner of the baggage would do。
〃Of course it was dreadful arriving at a strange
hotel with the name of Kestrel…Smith； but it would have
been worse to have arrived without luggage。 Anyhow； I
hate causing trouble。〃
Jerton had visions of harassed railway officials and
distraught Kestrel…Smiths； but he made no attempt to
clothe his mental picture in words。 The lady continued
her story。
〃Naturally； none of my keys would fit the things；
but I told an intelligent page boy that I had lost my
key…ring； and he had the locks forced in a twinkling。
Rather too intelligent； that boy； he will probably end in
Dartmoor。 The Kestrel…Smith toilet tools aren't up to
much； but they are better than nothing。〃
〃If you feel sure that you have a title；〃 said
Jerton； 〃 why not get hold of a peerage and go right
through it？〃
〃I tried that。 I skimmed through the list of the
House of Lords in 'Whitaker；' but a mere printed string
of names conveys awfully little to one； you know。 If you
were an army officer and had lost your identity you might
pore over the Army List for months without finding out
who your were。 I'm going on another tack； I'm trying to
find out by various little tests who I am NOT … that will
narrow the range of uncertainty down a bit。 You may have
noticed； for instance； that I'm lunching principally off
lobster Newburg。〃
Jerton had not ventured to notice anything of the
sort。
〃It's an extravagance； because it's one of the most
expensive dishes on the menu； but at any rate it proves
that I'm not Lady Starping； she never touches shell…fish；
and poor Lady Braddleshrub has no digestion at all； if I
am HER I shall certainly die in agony in the course of
the afternoon； and the duty of finding out who I am will
devolve on the press and the police and those sort of
people； I shall be past caring。 Lady Knewford doesn't
know one rose from another and she hates men； so she
wouldn't have spoken to you in any case； and Lady
Mousehilton flirts with every man she meets … I haven't
flirted with you； have I？〃
Jerton hastily gave the required assurance。
〃Well； you see；〃 continued the lady； 〃that knocks
four off the list at once。〃
〃It'll be rather a lengthy process bringing the list
down to one；〃 said Jerton。
〃Oh； but； of course； there are heaps of them that I
couldn't possibly be … women who've got grandchildren or
sons old enough to have celebrated their coming of age。
I've only got to consider the ones about my own age。 I
tell you how you might help me this afternoon； if you
don't mind； go through any of the back numbers of COUNTRY
LIFE and those sort of papers that you can find in the
smoking…room； and see if you come across my portrait with
infant son or anything of that sort。 It won't take you
ten minutes。 I'll meet you in the lounge about tea…time。
Thanks awfully。〃
And the Fair Unknown； having graciously pressed
Jerton into the search for her lost identity； rose and
left the room。 As she passed the young man's table she
halted for a moment and whispered：
〃Did you notice that I tipped the waiter a shilling？
We can cross Lady Ulwight off the list； she would have
died rather than do that。〃
At five o'clock Jerton made his