THE MEDLAR TREE

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 286, 3 December 1930, Page 22

THE MEDLAR TREE

By E. BRETT YOUNG.

CHAPTER XXIII. Vicary and Ms two sisters managed to meet in the deserted library in an interval of the joyous activities that even Aunt Pandora's unflagging zeal could not avoid. They_sat round, the table that had been the centre of the gloomy conclave two days before. Vicary took the seat that had been occupied by his grandfather, and heaved a deep sign compounded by physical weariness, relief and affection 'for Mary Hibbert. "What do you make of it?" he demanded. "Either," said "she's gone stark-staring mad or " "Or what?" "That's' the trouble. It's hard to believe that Aunt Pan is really insane, but it's harder still to think of any alternative." "After all," eaid Vicary, "there's no reason why she ' shouldn't dress" as—aa women do nowadays. She has fifty years of dowdiness to make up for." _ But the two sisters stared at him coldly. Evidently the more outrageous details of Aunt Pandora's tranefonnation had escaped him. "Anyway," he said, "we mustn't jrrudge the old lady a bit of fun if she wants it—to brighten, her declining years." "That's all very well," said Sylvia curtly. "But Aunt Pandora's idea of fun "has hitherto been to dragoon the Wanmel villagers into doing what she wanted. Turning widows out in the enow and making labourers sign the pledge and all that sort of thing."_ "That only means," eaid Vicary, "that she's changed her ideas. For the better in my, opinion. She's not a bad old thing at heart." "I was afraid," eaid Sylvia, "that propinquity would be too much for you. It's robbed you of such, fragments of intelligence as you had. My own belief is that it's a plot and that Sir Vicary's in it. Have you noticed how he'e dreseed —like a young fellow about town?" "I see nothing outrageous," pronounced Vicary, "in my grandfather going to a decent tailor. I've always wished that. he'd show a little more eense of his position." "You're an ass," eaid Sylvia. "Let's hear what Pam hae to eay." Pamela was thoughtful for a moment. < "I agree with Sylvia," she decided, "that it's a plot." * "Who against t" demanded Vicary. "Us. All of us. I don't believe in a change of heart in Aunt Pandora. For one thing, she's too old. And for another, we should have seen it coming on before. And .for a third, the chances are a million to one against grandpa being converted at the same moment. Itfe .•■ thai that gives 'em away. If Sir "Vicary had come out in his ordinary clothes and done a normal amount of grumbling'about visitors coming here I might be less suspicious. But he's behaving like ah eighteenthcentury beau. I tell you they've hatched somethip? between them."

"That/ , said Sylvia, "is sense. We're having a very nice time, and I'm personally very grateful for the opportunity of putting in a bit of useful work with Peter Luxmore. Tne fact remains that we must'•watch our step." Vicary tugged at His moustache and frowned in an effort to concentrate his mind.

"I don't see it," lie declared at length. "Where's the danger!" "I have a theory," said Pamela, "which seems to me to be the only possible explanation. It's this. Aunt Pandora realised that it was no use trying.to dragoon us as if we were Wanmelites. You're responsible, Sylvia, for that warning. So she's trying a different method. Her idea is that if these people, these Hibberts, are transplanted into decent surroundings it will begin to be a bit obvious to us that they don't fit into the picture. They'll do the wrong things and say the wrong things and generally give.themselves away. And we, knowing better, shall be filled with disgust." "I'd like to see Aunt Pandora or anyone else," put in Vicary, "fill me with, disgust of /Mary." "But suppose she used" the wrong knife and fork at dinner and drank out of her finger bowl?" "I should'tell her about it," said Vicary, "afterwards." "That's very sensible," agreed Pamela, "I'd tell William, though as a matter of fact his manners are better than mine. But that's Pandora's idea, depend upon it. You see she attaches more importance to little things than we do. -She doesn't realise that to us a mere quaffing, of a finger bowl or two isn't a crime to be punished with perpetual banishment. To her it's juet that, and she thinks we feel the same." "Then ehe's another think coming, said Sylvia. "In fact, it must have come already, for I'm bound to say that the Hibberte haven't done anything to bring a blush to the cheek; of the youngest debutante. So her plan's missed fire. °She probably realises that by now. In fact I shan't be surprised if she sends these people packing at once and comes down to dinner clad in wrath and-a decent black dress with lace at the neck. "As a matter of fact we're not dining at home. We're all going to the Jtitz," said ViCary. "Aunt Pan had lunch there the other day, and she says the food is quite tolerable." . "The Ritz!" The sisters turned and thanked their stars that they had brought their best frocks down to Empsholt. "Who's going?" asked Sylvia. "All of us, naturally, including grandfather, who hasn't dined out for ten vears." \ . " "The plot thickens," said Sylvia. "Are you sure of your facts ?" "Absolutely.' Aunt Pan told me to tell you, but I forgot, or rather I hadn't a chance before. We're going in the Daimler and in Peter's car—eight of us all told." "That bears out my theory," "decided Pamela. "It's the finger bowl test, with the most striking possible background. She may even be hoping that the head waiter will approach our young friends half-wav through dinner and request them to leave. There will be a scene at the momry of which we shall blush for.. years to come. And Aunt Pan; dora will remind ua gently that it was all our own fault for showing so little discrimination. The incident will then be closed. Aunt Pan will go back to Waniriel and the iron hand after proving herself an • expert with the velvet glove." •''Only it wont come off," said Vicary: and they-aIL agreed that for once at least in- a - long and ' ruthless career of domination Aunt Pandora' had slipped up badly.

Meanwhile Aunt Pandora remained unaware of the fact. Xor did she dress for dinner in a. black silk gown with lace at the neck. Nanette had seen to that. The old lady's dinner dress was less startling than the dress in which she had affronted the breakfast table. Or perhaps it was only that successive stimuli have a declining reaction. It was, at any rate, a bold and slightly daring conception, straight from Paris, that Aunt Pandora presented to the admiration of the world and somebody else's wife at the Eitz. It would have been only mildly unsuitable for a woman half her age. As for* Sir Vicary, he looked like a retired diplomat, which is precisely what he wae. The young people had to admit that the old ones were doing , them proud. Aunt Pandora's judgment of the excellence of the food at this place proved to be well founded. She provided cocktails. She provided champagne, of a year and vintage that ehowed either an uncanny intuition or an expert knowledge of wine lists. And she helped the young people drink it while Sir Vicary clove to Brugundy. It began as a decorous meal, became a merry one, and ended almost riotously. Aunt Pandora told a etory that might have been resented for.a less public place; told it, too, in the penetrating voice in which she sometimes gave orders to the gardener from the drawing room window. It seemed to Pamela's scrutiny as though there was a real flush on the old lady e cheek beneath the trowelwork, as Sylvia had called it. Certaily her eyes sparkled with an unusual brilliance. "She's going mad after all," thought Pamela; and then, with a sudden, anxious quickening of her heart's rhythm: "She'll kill herself, poor darling!" But she could hardl-r tell her hosted, before the assembled guests, that another glass of champagne might do her a lot of harm. And Aunt Pandora's diction remained as precise and unhurried as ever.

"And now," said the old lady, wfien elie had finished a liqueur glassful of brandy that Avas nearly as old as she, "now, my dear children, I expect you'd all like to go on to a ehow. We must try tp get a box, and you must guide my choice of a theatre, for I'm terribly out of touch with things. Still, I'm getting back." Aunt Pandora smiled ■with an astonishing flash of teeth and eyes. "I'm getting back." Sir Vicary, who had fallen somnolent over his port, came to himself with a start. "Getting back? Yes, yes, I think we'd better, Pandora. We're not so young as we were. But .we needn't drag the others home just yet." "You're not going to drag me home," said Mrs. Gossett in a voice that startled a day-dreaming waiter at the furthest end of the room. "Xo, no, Vicary, my boy. I'm going to make a night of it." People were emiling from neighbouring tables. - Pamela began to wish that ehe had not come. "Which of you young men," asked Aunt Pandora archly, "knows the town best?" "There's not much'to choose between us," said Peter. "We've been about a good deal together."' "Then you" —she pointed a long finger at William—"shall choose the theatre, and you, Peter—l suppose I may call you Peter?" » Mr. Luxmore bowed. "You, Peter, shall choose the club?"The club?" The young millionaire looked blank. "N"ow, now! No pretending, said Aunt Pandora, with the finger still at work "Don't tell me you aren't familiar with, all the best night clubs in London!" „ There are only two decent ones, said Peter. „ "Then you shall take us to one of them," decided Aunt Pandora, "after the show." And ehe ehepherded her astounded flock towards the cloak rooms. (To be continued daily.)'