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circumstances。〃
As Gortsby retraced his steps past the seat where
the little drama had taken place he saw an elderly
gentleman poking and peering beneath it and on all sides
of it； and recognised his earlier fellow occupant。
〃Have you lost anything； sir？〃 he asked。
〃Yes； sir； a cake of soap。〃
A TOUCH OF REALISM
〃I HOPE you've come full of suggestions for
Christmas；〃 said Lady Blonze to her latest arrived guest；
〃the old…fashioned Christmas and the up…to…date Christmas
are both so played out。 I want to have something really
original this year。〃
〃I was staying with the Mathesons last month；〃 said
Blanche Boveal eagerly； 〃and we had such a good idea。
Every one in the house…party had to be a character and
behave consistently all the time； and at the end of the
visit one had to guess what every one's character was。
The one who was voted to have acted his or her character
best got a prize。〃
〃It sounds amusing；〃 said Lady Blonze。
〃I was St。 Francis of Assisi；〃 continued Blanche；
〃we hadn't got to keep to our right sexes。 I kept
getting up in the middle of a meal； and throwing out food
to the birds； you see； the chief thing that one remembers
of St。 Francis is that he was fond of the birds。 Every
one was so stupid about it； and thought that I was the
old man who feeds the sparrows in the Tuileries Gardens。
Then Colonel Pentley was the Jolly Miller on the banks of
Dee。〃
〃How on earth did he do that？〃 asked Bertie van
Tahn。
〃 'He laughed and sang from morn till night；' 〃
explained Blanche。
〃How dreadful for the rest of you；〃 said Bertie；
〃and anyway he wasn't on the banks of Dee。〃
〃One had to imagine that；〃 said Blanche。
〃If you could imagine all that you might as well
imagine cattle on the further bank and keep on calling
them home； Mary…fashion； across the sands of Dee。 Or you
might change the river to the Yarrow and imagine it was
on the top of you； and say you were Willie； or whoever it
was； drowned in Yarrow。〃
〃Of course it's easy to make fun of it；〃 said
Blanche sharply； 〃but it was extremely interesting and
amusing。 The prize was rather a fiasco； though。 You
see； Millie Matheson said her character was Lady
Bountiful； and as she was our hostess of course we all
had to vote that she had carried out her character better
than anyone。 Otherwise I ought to have got the prize。〃
〃It's quite an idea for a Christmas party；〃 said
Lady Blonze； 〃we must certainly do it here。〃
Sir Nicholas was not so enthusiastic。 〃Are you
quite sure； my dear； that you're wise in doing this
thing？〃 he said to his wife when they were alone
together。 〃It might do very well at the Mathesons； where
they had rather a staid； elderly house…party； but here it
will be a different matter。 There is the Durmot flapper；
for instance； who simply stops at nothing； and you know
what Van Tahn is like。 Then there is Cyril Skatterly； he
has madness on one side of his family and a Hungarian
grandmother on the other。〃
〃I don't see what they could do that would matter；〃
said Lady Blonze。
〃It's the unknown that is to be dreaded；〃 said Sir
Nicholas。 〃If Skatterly took it into his head to
represent a Bull of Bashan； well； I'd rather not be
here。〃
〃Of course we shan't allow any Bible characters。
Besides； I don't know what the Bulls of Bashan really did
that was so very dreadful； they just came round and
gaped； as far as I remember。〃
〃My dear； you don't know what Skatterly's Hungarian
imagination mightn't read into the part； it would be
small satisfaction to say to him afterwards： 'You've
behaved as no Bull of Bashan would have behaved。' 〃
〃Oh； you're an alarmist；〃 said Lady Blonze； I
particularly want to have this idea carried out。 It will
be sure to be talked about a lot。〃
〃That is quite possible；〃 said Sir Nicholas。
* * * *
Dinner that evening was not a particularly lively
affair； the strain of trying to impersonate a self…
imposed character or to glean hints of identity from
other people's conduct acted as a check on the natural
festivity of such a gathering。 There was a general
feeling of gratitude and acquiescence when good…natured
Rachel Klammerstein suggested that there should be an
hour or two's respite from 〃the game〃 while they all
listened to a little piano…playing after dinner。
Rachel's love of piano music was not indiscriminate； and
concentrated itself chiefly on selections rendered by her
idolised offspring； Moritz and Augusta； who； to do them
justice； played remarkably well。
The Klammersteins were deservedly popular as
Christmas guests； they gave expensive gifts lavishly on
Christmas Day and New Year； and Mrs。 Klammerstein had
already dropped hints of her intention to present the
prize for the best enacted character in the game
competition。 Every one had brightened at this prospect；
if it had fallen to Lady Blonze； as hostess； to provide
the prize； she would have considered that a little
souvenir of some twenty or twenty…five shillings' value
would meet the case； whereas coming from a Klammerstein
source it would certainly run to several guineas。
The close time for impersonation efforts came to an
end with the final withdrawal of Moritz and Augusta from
the piano。 Blanche Boveal retired early； leaving the
room in a series of laboured leaps that she hoped might
be recognised as a tolerable imitation of Pavlova。 Vera
Durmot； the sixteen…year…old flapper； expressed her
confident opinion that the performance was intended to
typify Mark Twain's famous jumping frog； and her
diagnosis of the case found general acceptance。 Another
guest to set an example of early bed…going was Waldo
Plubley； who conducted his life on a minutely regulated
system of time…tables and hygienic routine。 Waldo was a
plump； indolent young man of seven…and…twenty； whose
mother had early in his life decided for him that he was
unusually delicate； and by dint of much coddling and
home…keeping had succeeded in making him physically soft
and mentally peevish。 Nine hours' unbroken sleep；
preceded by elaborate breathing exercises and other
hygienic ritual； was among the indispensable regulations
which Waldo imposed on himself； and there were
innumerable small observances which he exacted from those
who were in any way obliged to minister to his
requirements； a special teapot for the decoction of his
early tea was always solemnly handed over to the bedroom
staff of any house in which he happened to be staying。
No one had ever quite mastered the mechanism of this
precious vessel； but Bertie van Tahn was responsible for
the legend that its spout had to be kept facing north
during the process of infusion。
On this particular night the irreducible nine hours
were sever