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of the butler entered the room。 But he made no general
announcement of a banquet in readiness； and the doors closed behind
him； his message was for Sophie alone。
〃There is no dinner； madame；〃 he said gravely； 〃the kitchen staff
have 'downed tools。' Gaspare belongs to the Union of Cooks and
Kitchen Employees； and as soon as they heard of his summary dismissal
at a moment's notice they struck work。 They demand his instant
reinstatement and an apology to the union。 I may add； madame； that
they are very firm； I've been obliged even to hand back the dinner rolls
that were already on the table。〃
After the lapse of eighteen months Sophie Chattel… Monkheim is
beginning to go about again among her old haunts and associates； but
she still has to be very careful。 The doctors will not let her attend
anything at all exciting； such as a drawing…room meeting or a Fabian
conference； it is doubtful； indeed； whether she wants to。
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THE FEAST OF NEMESIS
〃IT'S a good thing that Saint Valentine's Day has dropped out of
vogue；〃 said Mrs。 Thackenbury； 〃what with Christmas and New Year
and Easter； not to speak of birthdays； there are quite enough
remembrance days as it is。 I tried to save myself trouble at Christmas
by just sending flowers to all my friends； but it wouldn't work；
Gertrude has eleven hot…houses and about thirty gardeners； so it would
have been ridiculous to send flowers to her； and Milly has just started a
florist's shop； so it was equally out of the question there。 The stress
of having to decide in a hurry what to give to Gertrude and Milly just
when I thought I'd got the whole question nicely off my mind
completely ruined my Christmas； and then the awful monotony of the
letters of thanks： 'Thank you so much for your lovely flowers。 It was
so good of you to think of me。' Of course in the majority of cases I
hadn't thought about the recipients at all； their names were down in my
list of 'people who must not be left out。' If I trusted to remembering
them there would be some awful sins of omission。〃
〃The trouble is；〃 said Clovis to his aunt； 〃all these days of intrusive
remembrance harp so persistently on one aspect of human nature and
entirely ignore the other； that is why they become so perfunctory and
artificial。 At Christmas and New Year you are emboldened and
encouraged by convention to send gushing messages of optimistic
goodwill and servile affection to people whom you would scarcely ask
to lunch unless some one else had failed you at the last moment； if you
are supping at a restaurant on New Year's Eve you are permitted and
expected to join hands and sing 'For Auld Lang Syne' with strangers
whom you have never seen before and never want to see again。 But no
licence is allowed in the opposite direction。〃
〃Opposite direction； what opposite direction？〃 queried Mrs。
Thackenbury。
〃There is no outlet for demonstrating your feelings towards people
whom you simply loathe。 That is really the crying need of our modern
civilisation。 Just think how jolly it would be if a recognised day were
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BEASTS AND SUPER…BEASTS
set apart for the paying off of old scores and grudges； a day when one
could lay oneself out to be gracefully vindictive to a carefully treasured
list of 'people who must not be let off。' I remember when I was at a
private school we had one day； the last Monday of the term I think it was；
consecrated to the settlement of feuds and grudges； of course we did not
appreciate it as much as it deserved； because； after all； any day of the
term could be used for that purpose。 Still； if one had chastised a
smaller boy for being cheeky weeks before； one was always permitted
on that day to recall the episode to his memory by chastising him again。
That is what the French call reconstructing the crime。〃
〃I should call it reconstructing the punishment；〃 said Mrs。
Thackenbury； 〃and； anyhow； I don't see how you could introduce a
system of primitive schoolboy vengeance into civilised adult life。 We
haven't outgrown our passions； but we are supposed to have learned how
to keep them within strictly decorous limits。〃
〃Of course the thing would have to be done furtively and politely；〃
said Clovis； 〃the charm of it would be that it would never be perfunctory
like the other thing。 Now； for instance； you say to yourself： 'I must
show the Webleys some attention at Christmas； they were kind to dear
Bertie at Bournemouth；' and you send them a calendar； and daily for six
days after Christmas the male Webley asks the female Webley if she has
remembered to thank you for the calendar you sent them。 Well；
transplant that idea to the other and more human side of your nature； and
say to yourself： 'Next Thursday is Nemesis Day； what on earth can I do
to those odious people next door who made such an absurd fuss when
Ping Yang bit their youngest child？' Then you'd get up awfully early
on the allotted day and climb over into their garden and dig for truffles
on their tennis court with a good gardening fork； choosing； of course；
that part of the court that was screened from observation by the laurel
bushes。 You wouldn't find any truffles but you would find a great
peace； such as no amount of present…giving could e