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true。〃 〃The Death's Head patience： Card…game that
justified its sinister name in three generations。〃 He
wrote out a full story of the fatal occurrence for the
ESSEX VEDETTE； the editor of which was a friend of his；
and to another friend he gave a condensed account； to be
taken up to the office of one of the halfpenny dailies。
But in both cases his reputation as a romancer stood
fatally in the way of the fulfilment of his ambitions。
〃Not the right thing to be Munchausening in a time of
sorrow〃 agreed his friends among themselves； and a brief
note of regret at the 〃sudden death of the wife of our
respected neighbour； Mr。 John Blenkinthrope； from heart
failure；〃 appearing in the news column of the local paper
was the forlorn outcome of his visions of widespread
publicity。
Blenkinthrope shrank from the society of his
erstwhile travelling companions and took to travelling
townwards by an earlier train。 He sometimes tries to
enlist the sympathy and attention of a chance
acquaintance in details of the whistling prowess of his
best canary or the dimensions of his largest beetroot； he
scarcely recognises himself as the man who was once
spoken about and pointed out as the owner of the Seventh
Pullet。
THE BLIND SPOT
〃YOU'VE just come back from Adelaide's funeral；
haven't you？〃 said Sir Lulworth to his nephew； 〃I suppose
it was very like most other funerals？〃
〃I'll tell you all about it at lunch；〃 said Egbert。
〃You'll do nothing of the sort。 It wouldn't be
respectful either to your great…aunt's memory or to the
lunch。 We begin with Spanish olives； then a borshch；
then more olives and a bird of some kind； and a rather
enticing Rhenish wine； not at all expensive as wines go
in this country； but still quite laudable in its way。
Now there's absolutely nothing in that menu that
harmonises in the least with the subject of your great…
aunt Adelaide or her funeral。 She was a charming woman；
and quite as intelligent as she had any need to be； but
somehow she always reminded me of an English cook's idea
of a Madras curry。〃
〃She used to say you were frivolous；〃 said Egbert。
Something in his tone suggested that he rather endorsed
the verdict。
〃I believe I once considerably scandalised her by
declaring that clear soup was a more important factor in
life than a clear conscience。 She had very little sense
of proportion。 By the way； she made you her principal
heir； didn't she？〃
〃Yes；〃 said Egbert； 〃and executor as well。 It's in
that connection that I particularly want to speak to
you。〃
〃Business is not my strong point at any time；〃 said
Sir Lulworth； 〃and certainly not when we're on the
immediate threshold of lunch。〃
〃It isn't exactly business；〃 explained Egbert； as he
followed his uncle into the dining…room。
〃It's something rather serious。 Very serious。〃
〃Then we can't possibly speak about it now；〃 said
Sir Lulworth； 〃no one could talk seriously during a
borshch。 A beautifully constructed borshch； such as you
are going to experience presently； ought not only to
banish conversation but almost to annihilate thought。
Later on； when we arrive at the second stage of olives； I
shall be quite ready to discuss that new book on Borrow；
or； if you prefer it； the present situation in the Grand
Duchy of Luxemburg。 But I absolutely decline to talk
anything approaching business till we have finished with
the bird。〃
For the greater part of the meal Egbert sat in an
abstracted silence； the silence of a man whose mind is
focussed on one topic。 When the coffee stage had been
reached he launched himself suddenly athwart his uncle's
reminiscences of the Court of Luxemburg。
〃I think I told you that great…aunt Adelaide had
made me her executor。 There wasn't very much to be done
in the way of legal matters； but I had to go through her
papers。〃
〃That would be a fairly heavy task in itself。 I
should imagine there were reams of family letters。〃
〃Stacks of them； and most of them highly
uninteresting。 There was one packet； however； which I
thought might repay a careful perusal。 It was a bundle
of correspondence from her brother Peter。〃
〃The Canon of tragic memory；〃 said Lulworth。
〃Exactly； of tragic memory； as you say； a tragedy
that has never been fathomed。〃
〃Probably the simplest explanation was the correct
one；〃 said Sir Lulworth； 〃he slipped on the stone
staircase and fractured his skull in falling。〃
Egbert shook his head。 〃The medical evidence all
went to prove that the blow on the head was struck by
some one coming up behind him。 A wound caused by violent
contact with the steps could not possibly have been
inflicted at that angle of the skull。 They experimented
with a dummy figure falling in every conceivable
position。〃
〃But the motive？〃 exclaimed Sir Lulworth； 〃no one
had any interest in doing away with him； and the number
of people who destroy Canons of the Established Church
for the mere fun of killing must be extremely limited。
Of course there are individuals of weak mental balance
who do that sort of thing； but they seldom conceal their
handiwork； they are more generally inclined to parade
it。〃
〃His cook was under suspicion；〃 said Egbert shortly。
〃I know he was；〃 said Sir Lulworth； 〃simply because
he was about the only person on the premises at the time
of the tragedy。 But could anything be sillier than
trying to fasten a charge of murder on to Sebastien？ He
had nothing to gain； in fact； a good deal to lose； from
the death of his employer。 The Canon was paying him
quite as good wages as I was able to offer him when I
took him over into my service。 I have since raised them
to something a little more in accordance with his real
worth； but at the time he was glad to find a new place
without troubling about an increase of wages。 People
were fighting rather shy of him； and he had no friends in
this country。 No； if anyone in the world was interested
in the prolonged life and unimpaired digestion of the
Canon it would certainly be Sebastien。〃
〃People don't always weigh the consequences of their
rash acts；〃 said Egbert； 〃otherwise there would be very
few murders committed。 Sebastien is a man of hot
temper。〃
〃He is a southerner；〃 admitted Sir Lulworth； 〃to be
geographically exact I believe he hails from the French
slopes of the Pyrenees。 I took that into consideration
when he nearly killed the gardener's boy the other day
for bringing him a spurious substitute for sorrel。 One
must always make allowances for origin and locality and
early environment； ‘Tell me your longitude and I'll know
what latitude to allow you；' is my motto。〃
〃There； you see；〃 said Egbert； 〃he nearly killed the
gardener's boy。〃
〃My dear Egbert； between nearly k