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relief when she was displaced by Jack； who was nine years
old； and talked exclusively about the Balkan War without
throwing any fresh light on its political or military
history。 The German governess told Lanner more about
Schiller than he had ever heard in his life about any one
person； it was perhaps his own fault for having told her
that he was not interested in Goethe。 When the governess
went off picket duty the hostess was again on hand with a
not…to…be…gainsaid invitation to visit the cottage of an
old woman who remembered Charles James Fox； the woman had
been dead for two or three years； but the cottage was
still there。 Lanner was called back to town earlier than
he had originally intended。
Hugo did not bring off his affair with Betty
Coulterneb。 Whether she refused him or whether； as was
more generally supposed； he did not get a chance of
saying three consecutive words； has never been exactly
ascertained。 Anyhow； she is still the jolly Coulterneb
girl。
The buzzards successfully reared two young ones；
which were shot by a local hairdresser。
THE STAKE
〃RONNIE is a great trial to me；〃 said Mrs。 Attray
plaintively。 〃Only eighteen years old last February and
already a confirmed gambler。 I am sure I don't know
where he inherits it from； his father never touched
cards； and you know how little I play … a game of bridge
on Wednesday afternoons in the winter； for three…pence a
hundred； and even that I shouldn't do if it wasn't that
Edith always wants a fourth and would be certain to ask
that detestable Jenkinham woman if she couldn't get me。
I would much rather sit and talk any day than play
bridge； cards are such a waste of time； I think。 But as
to Ronnie； bridge and baccarat and poker…patience are
positively all that he thinks about。 Of course I've done
my best to stop it； I've asked the Norridrums not to let
him play cards when he's over there； but you might as
well ask the Atlantic Ocean to keep quiet for a crossing
as expect them to bother about a mother's natural
anxieties。〃
〃Why do you let him go there？〃 asked Eleanor
Saxelby。
〃My dear；〃 said Mrs。 Attray； 〃I don't want to offend
them。 After all； they are my landlords and I have to look
to them for anything I want done about the place； they
were very accommodating about the new roof for the orchid
house。 And they lend me one of their cars when mine is
out of order； you know how often it gets out of order。〃
〃I don't know how often；〃 said Eleanor； 〃but it must
happen very frequently。 Whenever I want you to take me
anywhere in your car I am always told that there is
something wrong with it； or else that the chauffeur has
got neuralgia and you don't like to ask him to go out。〃
〃He suffers quite a lot from neuralgia；〃 said Mrs。
Attray hastily。 〃Anyhow；〃 she continued； 〃you can
understand that I don't want to offend the Norridrums。
Their household is the most rackety one in the county；
and I believe no one ever knows to an hour or two when
any particular meal will appear on the table or what it
will consist of when it does appear。〃
Eleanor Saxelby shuddered。 She liked her meals to
be of regular occurrence and assured proportions。
〃Still；〃 pursued Mrs。 Attray； 〃whatever their own
home life may be； as landlords and neighbours they are
considerate and obliging； so I don't want to quarrel with
them。 Besides； if Ronnie didn't play cards there he'd be
playing somewhere else。〃
〃Not if you were firm with him；〃 said Eleanor 〃I
believe in being firm。〃
〃Firm？ I am firm；〃 exclaimed Mrs。 Attray； 〃I am
more than firm … I am farseeing。 I've done everything I
can think of to prevent Ronnie from playing for money。
I've stopped his allowance for the rest of the year； so
he can't even gamble on credit； and I've subscribed a
lump sum to the church offertory in his name instead of
giving him instalments of small silver to put in the bag
on Sundays。 I wouldn't even let him have the money to
tip the hunt servants with； but sent it by postal order。
He was furiously sulky about it； but I reminded him of
what happened to the ten shillings that I gave him for
the Young Men's Endeavour League 'Self…Denial Week。' 〃
〃What did happen to it？〃 asked Eleanor。
〃Well； Ronnie did some preliminary endeavouring with
it； on his own account； in connection with the Grand
National。 If it had come off； as he expressed it； he
would have given the League twenty…five shillings and
netted a comfortable commission for himself； as it was；
that ten shillings was one of the things the League had
to deny itself。 Since then I've been careful not to let
him have a penny piece in his hands。〃
〃He'll get round that in some way；〃 said Eleanor
with quiet conviction； 〃he'll sell things。〃
〃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