Queen Lucia

ommy Luton's mother lay disregarded on the dish, while with fork and fish-slice in her hand, as aids to gestic

to me on their bended knee and said it wasn't so, I shouldn't believe them. Well-as you may remember, we all went back to Mrs Lucas's party again about half-past six, and it was an umbrella that one had left behind, and a

cher was still waiting for his piece of brill. As she carved it for him, he rapidly ran over in his mind what seemed to be the main points so far, for as yet there was no certain c

urself, ma'am," said

ank it all night. He never did, for a couple of glasses and one more was all he ever took, so I don't know how he knew about drinking it all night, but he was a very fine judge of wine. So I said to Elizabeth, 'A bottle of the old Burgundy, Elizabeth,' Well, on that evening I stopped behind a bit, to have another look at the Guru, and get my book, and when I came up the street again, what should I s

"then do you mean that it's

dded her head

raight till next Sunday, but if today's Thursday, then it would be last Monday fortnight, when the Guru went away very suddenly, and I'm sure I wasn't very sorry, because those breathings made me feel very giddy and yet I didn't like to be

about the Guru after all and helped himself to half a partr

ut he'll have a partridge, a whole partridge,' I said, 'and he won't complain of his dinner.' Well! On the day that they all went away, whatever the explanation of that was, I was sitting in my chair opposite the Arms, when out came the landlord followed by two men carrying the settle that stood on th

uantity of mouthfuls of partridge

Worcester china that used to stand on the mantelpiece, and a different cigarette case, and a bead-bag. I don't know where that came from, but if he inherited it, he didn't inherit much that time, I priced it at five shillings. But there's no settle in the treasure-case or out of it, and if you want to know where that settle is, it's in Old Place, because I saw it there myself, when the door was open, as I passed. He bought it-Mr Georgie-on behalf of Miss Bracely, unless you suppose tha

ave pieced it togethe

uc

and they had just taken out of it a case that could have held nothing but a grand piano. And if that's not enough for you, Colonel, there were two big dress-baskets as well, which I think must have contained linen, for they were corded, and it took two men to move each of them, so Ma

izabeth with the news that Mr Georgie wanted to know if he might come in for half-an-hour and chat. If it had been Olga Bracely her

re, and I all alone in the drawing room? Bring your decanter and your glass with you, and you shall spare me h

his delightful errand. It was, too, of the nature of just such a punitive expedition as Georgie thoroughly enjoyed, for Lucia all this week had been rather haughty and cold with him for his firm refusal to tell her who the purchaser of Old Place was. He had admitted that he knew, but had said that he was under promise not to reveal that, until permitted and Lucia had been haughty in consequence. She had, in fact, been so haughty that when Georgie rang her up just now, before ringing Mrs Weston up, to ask if he might spend an

ad fallen into sad arrears during August, and he settled himself comfortably down close to

a. Mrs Weston caught the Colonel's eye. She was not prop

ore than he should, just out of inquisitiveness, for I don't see what business it is of his. I know what I should have said: 'Oh, Mr Doubleday, I want it to make laudanum tartlets, we are all so fond of laudanum tartlets.' Something sharp and sarcastic like that, to show him his place. But I expect it did Mrs Antrobus good, for there she was on the green in the afternoon, and her face wasn't swollen for I had a good look at her. Oh, and t

s, but Georgie rejected it, as it was too early

men. And I don't say that I won't join you, if Elizabeth will bring another glass. What with a glass of Burgundy at my dinner, and a drop of brandy now, I

something might have leaked out about the contents of the cupboard in Othello. But it was e

s Lucas' garden-party. Ah, now I've got it; now I know what I wanted to ask. Wh

idery with great expedition, he would

id. "I was just going to tell you that she was coming, as a

gallant speech, when

olonel, who hated G

dition remained and Georgie recovered himself. He had

as ready," he said. "I knew all along; I have known since the

y of his temper. Mrs Weston put down

he going to live here a

quarrelled

t her about this, and ga

next week, Monday

he first fruits of it all. When they parted, having thoroughly discussed it, the chief preoccupation in the minds of all was the number of Riseholmites that each of them would be the first to pass on the news to, Mrs Weston could tell Elizabeth that night, and Colonel Boucher his bull-dogs, but th

to the piano, elicited from him, as in a neat little jug, the cream of the morning's milkings. Today she was attired in her Teacher's Robe, for the elementary class, though not always now in full conclave, gathered at her house on Tuesdays and Fridays. There had been signs of late that the interest of her pupils was on the wane, for Colonel Boucher had not appeared for two

a full meeting was assembling. Her maid in fact had announced to her without pause except to go to the door and back, though it still wanted a few minutes to eleven, that Colonel Boucher, Mrs Weston, Mrs Antrobus and Piggy were all as

s busy last night? And now I'm just going to take my Yoga-class. The

knew by this time, and he was going

yet?" he asked. "I was goi

ld Place?" asked

izingly. This was his last revela

the top of this bitterness was the added acrimony of Georgie, whose clear duty it was to have informed her the moment he knew, wanting to make the same revelation to her, last of all Riseholme. She had already had her suspicions, for she had not forgotten the fact that Olga Bracely

ally take you in?" she asked. "Just as if I hadn't

wed her how completely sh

d you?"

led her

I must run away to my clas

es, Lucia had the pleasure of disappointing the ambiti

ll," she said, "and be

of news now that at la

I think you all met he

t be a great addition

ple

known all along, like himself, who the new tenant was, for her enquiries had seemed to be pointed with the most piercing curiosity, but, after all, Lucia (when she did not forget her part) was a fine actress, and perhaps all the time he thought he had been puni

en Lucia asked her? As regards music, it was possible that she might be almost too great an addition, and cause the rest of the gifted amateurs to sink into comparative insignificance. At present Lucia was high-priestess at every altar of Art, and she could not think with equanimity of seeing anybo

brilliant bird of passage just for a couple of days, and drop so to speak, "a moulted feather, a eagle's feather" on Lucia's party, thereby causing it to shine out from all previous festivities, making it the Hightumest affair that had ever happened, but it was a totally different matter to contemplate her

ould give her the chance first of behaving with suitable loyalty and obedience; she would even condescend to cooperate with her so long as it

eacher's Robe for a walking dress, she went out up the road that led by