It isn’t my fault if I have a martinet for a father, is it, darling? Listen, I’ve got a whole lot of new ideas for us to try.’
The Legges and the Anstruthers came across to tea: cucumber sandwiches, gentleman’s relish, hot scones and seed-cake.
“How’s Betty after her fall?”
“Rather shaken, poor mite. Arthur wants her to start riding again as soon as she can. He’s afraid she may lose her nerve permanently.’
“But not on Majesty.”
“No, we hope Percy will lend her Jumbo for a bit. She can’t really manage Majesty yet, you know.”
“More tea, Bishop? How is every one at the Mission?”
“Oh, dear, how bare the garden is looking. It really is heart breaking. This is just the time it should be at its best. But all the antirrhinums are in the bag, heaven knows where.”
“This war is too exasperating. I’ve been expecting the wool for baby’s jacket for six weeks. I can’t get on with it at all and there are only the sleeves to finish. Do you think it would look too absurd if I put in the sleeves in another colour?”
“It might look rather sweet.”
“More tea, Bishop? I want to hear all about the infant school, sometime.”
“I’ve found the cypher book, sir.”
“Good boy; where was it?”
“In my collar drawer. I’d been decoding some telegrams in bed last week.”
“Splendid. It doesn’t matter as long as it’s safe, but you know how particular the F. O. are about things like that.”
“Poor Monsieur Ballon. He’s been trying to get an aeroplane from Algiers.”
“Mrs. Schonbaum told me that the reason we’re all so short of supplies is that the French Legation have been buying up everything and storing it in their cellars.”
“I wonder if they’d like to buy my marmalade. It’s been rather a failure this year.”
“More tea, Bishop. I want to talk to you sometime about David’s confirmation. He’s getting such an independent mind, I’m sometimes quite frightened what he’ll say next.”
“I wonder if you know anything about this cable. I can’t make head or tail of it. It isn’t in any of the usual codes. Kt to QR3 CH.”
“Yes, they’re all right. It’s a move in the chess game. Percy’s playing with Babbitt at the F. O. He was wondering what had become of it.”
“Poor Mrs. Walsh. Looking quite done up. I’m sure the altitude isn’t good for her.”
“I’m sure Uppingham is just the place for David.”
“More tea, Bishop. I’m sure you must be tired after your ride.”
Sixty miles southward in the Ukaka pass bloody bands of Sakuyu warriors played hide and seek among the rocks, chivvying the last fugitives of the army of Seyid, while behind them down the gorge, from cave villages of incalculable antiquity, the women crept out to rob the dead.
After tea the Consul looked in and invited Prudence and William over to play tennis.
‘I’m afraid the balls are pretty well worn out. We’ve had some on order for two months. Confound this war.”
When it was too dark to play, they dropped in on the Legges for cocktails, overstayed their time and ran back to the Legation to change for dinner. They tossed for first bath. Prudence won but William took it. He finished her bath salts and they were both very late for dinner. The Bishop, as had been feared, stayed the night. After dinner a log fire was lit in the hall; the evenings were cold in the hills. Sir Samson settled down to his knitting. Anstruther and Legge came in to make up the bridge table with Lady Courteney and the Bishop.
Legation bridge was played in a friendly way.
“I’ll go one small heart.”
“One no trump and I hope you remember what that means, partner.”
“How you two do cheat.”
“No.”
“I say, can’t you do better than that.”
“What did you call?”
“A heart.”
“Oh, well, I’ll go two hearts.”
“That’s better.”
“Damn. I’ve forgotten what a no-trump call means. I shall have to pass.”
“No. I’m thinking of riding Vizier with a gag. He’s getting heavy in the mouth.”
“No. Then it’s you to play, Bishop. It’s hopeless using a steel bit out here.”
