expecting the wool for baby’s jacket for six
weeks. I can’t get on with it at all and there are only the sleeves to finish.
Do you think it would look too absurd if I put in the sleeves in another
colour?’
‘It
might look rather sweet.’
‘More
tea, Bishop? I want to hear all about the infant school some time.’
‘I’ve
found the cipher book, sir.’
‘Good
boy, where was it?’
‘In my
collar drawer. I’d been decoding some telegrams in bed last week.’
‘Splendid.
It doesn’t matter as long as it’s safe, but you know how particular the F.O. are
about things like that.’
‘Poor
Monsieur Ballon. He’s been trying to get an aeroplane from Algiers.’
‘Mrs
Schonbaum told me that the reason we’re all so short of supplies is that the
French Legation have been buying up everything and storing it in their
cellars.’
‘I
wonder if they’d like to buy my marmalade. It’s been rather a failure this
year. ‘.
‘More
tea, Bishop? I want to talk to you some time about David’s confirmation. He’s
getting such an independent mind, I’m sometimes quite frightened what he’ll say
next.’
‘I
wonder if you know anything about this cable. I can’t make head or tail of it.
It isn’t in any of the usual codes. Kt to QR3 CH.’
‘Yes,
they’re all right. It’s a move in the chess game Percy’s playing with Babbit at
the F.O. He was wondering what had become of it.’
‘Poor
Mrs Walsh. Looking quite done up. I’m sure the altitude isn’t good for her.’
‘I’m
sure Uppingham is just the place for David.’
‘More
tea, Bishop? I’m sure you must be tired after your ride.’
Sixty miles southward in
the Ukaka pass bloody bands of Sakuyu warriors played hide-and-seek among the
rocks, chivvying the last fugitives of the army of Seyid, while behind them
down the gorge, from cave villages of incalcuable antiquity, the women crept
out to rob the dead.
After tea the Consul
looked in and invited Prudence and William over to play tennis.
‘I’m
afraid the balls are pretty well worn out. We’ve had some on order for two
months. Confound this war.’
When it
was too dark to play, they dropped in on the Legges for cocktails, overstayed
their time and ran back to the Legation to change for dinner. They tossed for
first bath. Prudence won but William took it. He finished her bath salts and
they were both very late for dinner. The Bishop, as had been feared, stayed the
night. After dinner a log fire was lit in the hall; the evenings were cold in
the hills. Sir Samson settled down to his knitting. Anstruther and Legge came
in to make up the bridge table with Lady Courteney and the Bishop.
Legation
bridge was played in a friendly way.
‘I’ll
go one small heart.’
‘One no-trump,
and I hope you remember what that means, partner.’
‘How
you two do cheat.’
‘No.’
‘I say,
can’t you do better than that?’
‘What
did you call?’
‘A heart.’
‘Oh,
well, I’ll go two hearts.’
‘That’s
better.’
‘Damn,
I’ve forgotten what a no-trump call means. I shall have to pass.’
‘No.
I’m thinking of riding Vizier with a gag. He’s getting heavy in the mouth.’
‘No.
Then it’s you to play, Bishop. It’s hopeless using a steel bit out here.’
‘I say,
what a rotten dummy; is that the best you can do, partner?’
‘Well,
you wanted me to put you up. If you can make the syces water the bit before
bridling it’s all right.’
Prudence
played the gramophone to William, who lay on his back in front of the hearth
smoking one of the very few remaining cigars. ‘Oh dear,’ he said, ‘when will
the new records come?’
‘I say,
Prudence, do come and look at the jumper. I’m starting on the sleeves.’
‘Envoy,
you are clever.’
‘Well,
it’s very exciting …
‘Pretty
tune that. I say, is it my turn?’
‘Percy, do attend to the game.’
‘Sorry,
anyway I’ve taken the trick.’.
‘It was
ours already.’
‘No, I say,
was
weeks. I can’t get on with it at all and there are only the sleeves to finish.
Do you think it would look too absurd if I put in the sleeves in another
colour?’
‘It
might look rather sweet.’
‘More
tea, Bishop? I want to hear all about the infant school some time.’
‘I’ve
found the cipher book, sir.’
‘Good
boy, where was it?’
‘In my
collar drawer. I’d been decoding some telegrams in bed last week.’
‘Splendid.
It doesn’t matter as long as it’s safe, but you know how particular the F.O. are
about things like that.’
‘Poor
Monsieur Ballon. He’s been trying to get an aeroplane from Algiers.’
‘Mrs
Schonbaum told me that the reason we’re all so short of supplies is that the
French Legation have been buying up everything and storing it in their
cellars.’
‘I
wonder if they’d like to buy my marmalade. It’s been rather a failure this
year. ‘.
‘More
tea, Bishop? I want to talk to you some time about David’s confirmation. He’s
getting such an independent mind, I’m sometimes quite frightened what he’ll say
next.’
‘I
wonder if you know anything about this cable. I can’t make head or tail of it.
It isn’t in any of the usual codes. Kt to QR3 CH.’
‘Yes,
they’re all right. It’s a move in the chess game Percy’s playing with Babbit at
the F.O. He was wondering what had become of it.’
‘Poor
Mrs Walsh. Looking quite done up. I’m sure the altitude isn’t good for her.’
‘I’m
sure Uppingham is just the place for David.’
‘More
tea, Bishop? I’m sure you must be tired after your ride.’
Sixty miles southward in
the Ukaka pass bloody bands of Sakuyu warriors played hide-and-seek among the
rocks, chivvying the last fugitives of the army of Seyid, while behind them
down the gorge, from cave villages of incalcuable antiquity, the women crept
out to rob the dead.
After tea the Consul
looked in and invited Prudence and William over to play tennis.
‘I’m
afraid the balls are pretty well worn out. We’ve had some on order for two
months. Confound this war.’
When it
was too dark to play, they dropped in on the Legges for cocktails, overstayed
their time and ran back to the Legation to change for dinner. They tossed for
first bath. Prudence won but William took it. He finished her bath salts and
they were both very late for dinner. The Bishop, as had been feared, stayed the
night. After dinner a log fire was lit in the hall; the evenings were cold in
the hills. Sir Samson settled down to his knitting. Anstruther and Legge came
in to make up the bridge table with Lady Courteney and the Bishop.
Legation
bridge was played in a friendly way.
‘I’ll
go one small heart.’
‘One no-trump,
and I hope you remember what that means, partner.’
‘How
you two do cheat.’
‘No.’
‘I say,
can’t you do better than that?’
‘What
did you call?’
‘A heart.’
‘Oh,
well, I’ll go two hearts.’
‘That’s
better.’
‘Damn,
I’ve forgotten what a no-trump call means. I shall have to pass.’
‘No.
I’m thinking of riding Vizier with a gag. He’s getting heavy in the mouth.’
‘No.
Then it’s you to play, Bishop. It’s hopeless using a steel bit out here.’
‘I say,
what a rotten dummy; is that the best you can do, partner?’
‘Well,
you wanted me to put you up. If you can make the syces water the bit before
bridling it’s all right.’
Prudence
played the gramophone to William, who lay on his back in front of the hearth
smoking one of the very few remaining cigars. ‘Oh dear,’ he said, ‘when will
the new records come?’
‘I say,
Prudence, do come and look at the jumper. I’m starting on the sleeves.’
‘Envoy,
you are clever.’
‘Well,
it’s very exciting …
‘Pretty
tune that. I say, is it my turn?’
‘Percy, do attend to the game.’
‘Sorry,
anyway I’ve taken the trick.’.
‘It was
ours already.’
‘No, I say,
was
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