Page:The elephant man and other reminiscences.djvu/230

218 It is enough to poison the house." Handing it to the butler as if it had been an infected rag, she exclaimed, "Take it away and burn it!"

The butler did not at once convey this garbage to the flames, but remarked—as if talking in his sleep—"There is a pianoforte tuner in the drawing-room." The duchess stared with amazement at this inconsequent remark. Whereupon the butler added that the new hat I had rejected might possibly be his. He was at once sent up to confront the artist, whose aimless tinkling could be heard in the hall, with the further message that if the dirty hat should happen to be his he was never to enter the house again. The butler returned to say that the musician did not "use" a hat. He wore a cap, which same he had produced from his pocket.

While the butler was away a great light had illumined the mind of the duchess. It appeared that Lord Andrew, her son-in-law, had called that afternoon with his wife. He had just left, his wife remaining behind. It was soon evident that the duchess had a grievance against her son-in-law. When the light fell upon her she exclaimed to me, "I see it all now. This horrible hat is Andrew's. He has taken yours by mistake and has left this disgusting thing