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Rh delicious amber beads! Don't we talk a dreadful lot of nonsense? Mind to look at the travel- volumes. All about Egypt and Japan, with lovely photographs. And Switzerland too—snow mountains."

There was no need for Aunt Cathie to reply, and, indeed, no opportunity. Lucia pressed her arm, just over a somewhat rheumatic place, but Lucia could not be expected to know that, and next moment was almost shaking Charlie from his chair to come to the last rehearsal of "Salome."

Lucia dragged her prey off with her, leaving the door wide open, and Mouse came across the room to Aunt Cathie.

"Darling Lucia lived with you for years, did she not?" she asked. "Do tell us what happened. It is quite too interesting for anything. Why didn't Brixham explode, burn with a blue flame, go up like a sky-rocket?"

Aunt Cathie knew she was being asked questions by a Duchess. It is idle to say that the knowledge did not gratify her, but she would have been even more gratified if she had known what to say. She wondered also if she ought to bring in the phrase "Your Grace," just once, to show that she knew. But she felt she would say it awkwardly; it was better left out.

"Lucia did just what we did," she said. "Played tennis sometimes."

Mouse drew her down on to a chair.

"It is too interesting," she said. "She just leaped, didn't she—sprang to the top of everything? Fancy coming straight out of that sort of"

Mouse paused in momentary confusion. It was only momentary.

"But I want to know secret history," she said. "Did she lie perdue and pounce? Did she make her circle there? She came out so full-blown, didn't she? Like the beautiful lunch you have on a train, that comes out of—oh, well, out of a little sort of cupboard behind the door."

The language was still rather foreign, but Aunt Cathie got a sudden clearness about it. She became stiff, but not at all embarrassed.

"Lucia lived our quiet life," she said, "in our very little house. She always was very full of spirits. I think she did not find it disagreeable. She had her little duties in the house. We led a very simple life, as I and my sister lead now."

Maud suddenly turned her chair round towards the speakers, and laughed.