SAVING THE SITUATION

Evening Star, Issue 20982, 22 December 1931, Page 6

SAVING THE SITUATION

A SHORT STORY 1 Leghorn avenue was a place of no reputation. It broke the speculative man who bought the land and laid it out as an avenue, and it smashed into a genuine bankruptcy the speculative builder who built the houses on the land. And it really seemed that the financial ill-luck which had dogged the laying out of the avenue and its equipment with houses had, in some subtle way, been passed on to the tenants of the houses. Three had had ‘ sales—more or less compulsory, and more “more” than “less”; five had moved by moonlight and plain pantechnicons; and four had had the bailiffs in for unpaid rent! Not all at once, you understand, but spread over a spell of three or four years. 1 And the last victim was Mrs de Broun. She came to the avenue; she splashed; she floundered; she fell. And —well, there, was a gentleman “in” for unpaid rent. For a broker’s man ho was really quite decent and agreeable, but—well, he was in possession just as much as if he had been beery and disagreeable. He was an intruder, but not an obtruder, if you follow me. Mrs de Broun was sure'he had been a gentleman, and she hinted as much to him. He did not deny the'charge, nor did he admit it. He merely smiled and murmured a deprecating protest the while he peeled potatoes for him? self—and the de Brouns. He was that sort of man—very gentlemanly and most obliging. And it was those qualities that put an idea in Mrs de Broun’s head. She had expected a broker’s man; she knew that it was inevitable that one would come; but she had not,anticipated that the one who did come would come as soon aa he had. And the bother of it was that his presence in the house threatened to bring to confusion a dinner party she was giving to her dearest enemy, Mrs Robinson and the Misses Robinson. Mrs R. had been saying nasty things

about Mrs de Broun and Mrs d» Broun’s finances, and—just to prove that she was financially alive—Mrs de Broun had invited the Robinsons to dinner—a final, and swagger dinner. At that dinner Mrs de Broun had intended to remark, quite casually, that the doctor had ordered her to live at Harrogate, and that, as she could not possibly take all her heavy furniture, she was going to arrange for sopie to be sold! A retreat, with colours flying! But the broker’s man was in the way,The servants, tired of waiting for the high wages which did not materialise, had departed. But there was a sort of char-cook who would come in for the day and prepare the dinner. But the char-cook was a local institution; she knew everybody and everything—a terrible person to let loose in a kitchen wherein sat a broker’s man! So Mrs de Broun talked to Mr Hopkins, the , broker’s man. Would Mr Hopkins be so very kind as to pose as a' guest, a visitor, just for the day' and evening of the dinner party?, She would be so grateful. There was a dress suit of J. de Broun, Esq. (deceased), which she felt sure would fit him. Mr Hopkins was willing to oblige, and when he was rigged out he looked, aa Mrs do Broun said, quite a gentleman. And if the necessity arose he was to be a friend of her late husband’s—from Australia. The Robinsons arrived, and Mrs de Broun—the two Miss de Brouns were in the drawing-room with their father’s friend—opened the door with a smiling,“Do come in, dear Mrs Robinson! We’ve no maids, you know! The last two went on Monday! So inconsiderate of them! We shall have to get Chinese, I suppose!” Mrs Robinson —Robinson had struck it rich over paraffin, or prunes, or something—with the qualification that to keep one’s maids one had to offer them high wages and pay them, agreed. Mrs de Broun felt the prick of thtf spiteful and pointed “ pay them,” hut smiled deprecatingly. “Yes; I tried that, but—my parlourmaid simply, pushed back sixty pounds that I laid on the kitchen table to induce her to stay. And that, dear Mrs Robinson, was not wages! It was just a bonus! v „ , But do come to the draw-ing-room. We are all alone except for an old friend of my husband’s. I must introduce you. He’s from Australia* and most interesting. Overflowing with money, too!” _ , ~, The introduction was made, and Air Hopkins behaved as to the manner born. Mrs Robinson, very shortsighted and disdainful of pince-nez because they didn’t suit her, peered at him and gushed, “I’m sure we’ve met before, Mr Hopkins! Isn’t that so?” Mr Hopkins smiled. “ I should hardly have failed to remember the honour, madam, but . Let me see now! Was it at Cairo?, No?. . j Then was it at the Embassy at Petrograd? No? . . . In Paris, then? No?,' . . . Then I must proffer a thousand apologies, madam, but congratulate myself that I have met you, am j , —with a bow—“ your charming daughters, now!” . , , , . , Mrs Robinson smirked and simpered.“That is very kind of you, but—well,I’m sure we’ve met before! I’m going to think ever so hard until I remember !’i _ , At dinner Mrs Robinson, who was not a lady, seemed to take a malicious delight in sending shaft after shaft into poor Mrs de Broun, who was. A sample—and quite a mild one : “ Harrogate, eh? .Oh, I should have thought you would have chosen a much cheaper place!” Another and not quite so mud; “ You find the tradesmen so very disobliging r . I don’t; but then I always pay them directly they, send their accounts in. It makes such a difference, you know!” Hotter and stronger knocks followed, induced perhaps by the fact that the dinner was not a failure! _ Now. and again Mr Hopkins raised his eyebrows in astonishment—not at the dinner but at the “ knocks ” and the barely veiled rudeness of them. He felt extremely sorry for Mrs de Broun. . . . A‘ broker’s man is a fair target for rudeness, and she had never shot at him—not once! Occasionally Mrs Robinson would leave her hostess alone and turn to Mr Hopkins. “ I’m; sure—surer than ever—that we’ve met before!” she said. “Weren’t ypuf—taking a leaf from Mr Hopkins s swank book—weren’t you one of the shooting party at Lord Tumhleton s last year? Confess now that you were!” Mr Hopkins would not confessj . . . But he suggested Homberg, Rome, Naples. Mrs Robinson was a little dubious—one met so many people at Naples. . . . Then she resumed her rudeness to her hostess. _ And Mr Hopkins progressed from being sorry to being quite indignant. When the adjournment was made to the drawing room he so manoeuvred it that h© got in a few quiet words with Mrs de Broun, and that lady and himself, with an apology, then left the room for a few minutes. He returned and asked Mrs Robinson if she would be so very kiud as to go to Mrs de Broun in the dining ropm. “You will please listen to me. Mrs Robinson, ” said Mrs de Broun. “ I’ve some very interesting news for you. . . . You’ve been wondering where you met Mr Hopkins. . ... Ton lived at New Eden, didn’t you, before you came here? And your house was number twelve Laurel Grove, wasn t it? . . . Ah, you may well blush. You told everyone that you’d been living abroad for some years so that your daughters could' study under the best masters. . . . Well, it was at New Eden that you met Mr Hopkins. Ho iv3.s in. l your house "twice to distruiu. for rent"! Once you ‘paid him out,’so he says. The second time you were sold up! That’s why all your furniture was new when you came here! I’ve heard the spiteful lies you have been spreading about ine, and now, now, now, I can spread the truth about you!” Mrs Robinson gasped out something that sounded like “ Mercy! ” and Mrs do Broun rose and took a half-guinea picture off the wall. , , „ “ Buy that for a hundred pounds! ’• she said, “and then I’ll have mercy.No, I don’t want a cheque. I want cash, and I want it now. You’ve boasted that you always kept a hundred, pounds in your desk ready for any emergency, so you can send _ one or your daughters home to get it. Mrs Robinson, making a supreme effort, pulled herself together called her daughter, and gave her the beys of her desk. “ I’m buying a—a. picture from Mrs de Broun, dear,” she explained. “ Be minutes later Mrs de Broun was rich’er by a hundred pounds and poorer by a half-guinea daub. Twentyfive minutes later Mrs Robinson and the Misses Robinson left, Mrs Robinson explaining that she didn’t feel well.; For two days Mrs Robinson lay m a sort of Eau de Cologne bath. Then, with startling suddenness, she revived and tore round to Mrs de Broun. “ I never thought of it until now, fool that I was! ” she screamed, “but that man was in your house to distrain for rent! I’ll tell——” r “Oh, no, you won’t! ’ said Mrs de Broun, calmly. ‘‘Why «o t; , “Because if you do I shall! That s why! ** * Mrs - Robinson went back to her Eau de Cologne.