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bushes。 You wouldn't find any truffles but you would find a great
peace； such as no amount of present…giving could ever bestow。〃
〃I shouldn't；〃 said Mrs。 Thackenbury； though her air of protest
sounded a bit forced； 〃I should feel rather a worm for doing such a
thing。〃
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〃You exaggerate the power of upheaval which a worm would be able
to bring into play in the limited time available；〃 said Clovis； 〃if you put
in a strenuous ten minutes with a really useful fork； the result ought to
suggest the operations of an unusually masterful mole or a badger in a
hurry。〃
〃They might guess I had done it；〃 said Mrs。 Thackenbury。
〃Of course they would；〃 said Clovis； 〃that would be half the
satisfaction of the thing； just as you like people at Christmas to know
what presents or cards you've sent them。 The thing would be much
easier to manage； of course； when you were on outwardly friendly terms
with the object of your dislike。 That greedy little Agnes Blaik； for
instance； who thinks of nothing but her food； it would be quite simple to
ask her to a picnic in some wild woodland spot and lose her just before
lunch was served； when you found her again every morsel of food
could have been eaten up。〃
〃It would require no ordinary human strategy to lose Agnes Blaik
when luncheon was imminent： in fact； I don't believe it could be done。〃
〃Then have all the other guests； people whom you dislike； and lose
the luncheon。 It could have been sent by accident in the wrong
direction。〃
〃It would be a ghastly picnic；〃 said Mrs。 Thackenbury。
〃For them； but not for you；〃 said Clovis； 〃you would have had an
early and comforting lunch before you started； and you could improve
the occasion by mentioning in detail the items of the missing banquet …
the lobster Newburg and the egg mayonnaise； and the curry that was to
have been heated in a chafing…dish。 Agnes Blaik would be delirious
long before you got to the list of wines； and in the long interval of
waiting； before they had quite abandoned hope of the lunch turning up；
you could induce them to play silly games； such as that idiotic one of
'the Lord Mayor's dinner…party；' in which every one has to choose the
name of a dish and do something futile when it is called out。 In this
case they would probably burst into tears when their dish is mentioned。
It would be a heavenly picnic。〃
Mrs。 Thackenbury was silent for a moment； she was probably
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making a mental list of the people she would like to invite to the Duke
Humphrey picnic。 Presently she asked： 〃And that odious young man；
Waldo Plubley； who is always coddling himself … have you thought of
anything that one could do to him？〃 Evidently she was beginning to
see the possibilities of Nemesis Day。
〃If there was anything like a general observance of the festival；〃 said
Clovis； 〃Waldo would be in such demand that you would have to
bespeak him weeks beforehand； and even then； if there were an east
wind blowing or a cloud or two in the sky he might be too careful of
his precious self to come out。 It would be rather jolly if you could lure
him into a hammock in the orchard； just near the spot where there is a
wasps' nest every summer。 A comfortable hammock on a warm
afternoon would appeal to his indolent tastes； and then； when he was
getting drowsy； a lighted fusee thrown into the nest would bring the
wasps out in an indignant mass； and they would soon find a 'home away
from home' on Waldo's fat body。 It takes some doing to get out of a
hammock in a hurry。〃
〃They might sting him to death；〃 protested Mrs。 Thackenbury。
〃Waldo is one of those people who would be enormously improved
by death；〃 said Clovis； 〃but if you didn't want to go as far as that； you
could have some wet straw ready to hand； and set it alight under the
hammock at the same time that the fusee was thrown into the nest； the
smoke would keep all but the most militant of the wasps just outside the
stinging line； and as long as Waldo remained within its protection he
would escape serious damage； and could be eventually restored to his
mother； kippered all over and swollen in places； but still perfectly
recognisable。〃
〃His mother would be my enemy for life；〃 said Mrs。 Thackenbury。
〃That would be one greeting less to exchange at Christmas；〃 said
Clovis。
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THE DREAMER
IT was the season of sales。 The august establishment of Walpurgis
and Nettlepink had lowered its prices for an entire week as a concession
to trade observances； much as an Arch…duchess might protestingly
contract an attack of influenza for the unsatisfactory reason that
influenza was locally prevalent。 Adela Chemping； who considered
herself in some measure superior to the allurements of an ordinary
bargain sale； made a point of attending the reduction week at Walpurgis
and Nettlepink's。
〃I'm not a bargain hunter；〃 she said； 〃but I like to go where bargains
are。〃
Which showed that beneath her surface strength of character there
flowed a gracious undercurrent of human weakness。
With a view to providing herself with a male escort Mrs。 Chemping
had invited her youngest nephew to