Hickory Dickory Dock

"You ask why is the Mau Mau? You ask why does Egypt resent the Suez Canal?" "Oh, hell!" said Nigel violently, and crashed his cup down on his saucer. "First the Oxford Group and now politics! At breakfast! I'm going." He pushed back his chair violently and left the room.

"There's a cold wind. Do take your coat." Patricia rushed after him.

"Cluck, cluck, cluck," said Valerie unkindly. "She'll grow feathers and flap her wings soon." The French girl, Genevieve, whose English was as yet not equal to following rapid exchanges had been listening to explanations hissed into her ear by Ren6. She now burst into rapid French, her voice rising to a scream.

"Comment dong? Ciest cette petite qui m'a vole mon compact? Ah, par example!

J'irais a la police. fe time supporterais pas une pareille…" Colin Mcationabb had been attempting to make himself heard for some time, but his deep superior drawl had been drowned by the higher pitched voices.

Abandoning his superior attitude he now brought down his fist with a heavy crash on the table and startled everyone into silence. The marmalade pot skidded off the table and broke.

"Will you hold your tongues, all of you, and hear me speak. I've never heard more crass ignorance and unkindness! Don't any of you have even a nodding acquaintance with psychology? The girl's not to be blamed, I tell you. She's been going through a severe emotional crisis and she needs treating with the utmost sympathy and care-or she may remain unstable for life. I'm warning you. The utmost care-that's what she needs." "But after all," said Jean, in a clear, priggish voice, "although I quite agree about being kind-we oughtn't to condone that sort of thing, ought we? Stealing, I mean." "Stealing," said Colin. "This wasn't stealing.

Och!

You make me sick-all of you." "Interesting case, is she, Colin?" said Valerie and grinned at him.

"If you're interested in the workings of the mind, yes." "Of course, she didn't take anything of mine-was began Jean, "but I do think-was "No, she didn't take anything of yours," said Colin, turning to scowl at her. "And if you knew in the least what that meant you'd maybe not be too pleased about it.eaong "Really, I don't see-was "Oh, come on, Jean," said Len Bateson.

"Let's stop nagging and nattering. I'm going to be late and so are you.

They went out together. "Tell Celia to buck up," he said over his shoulder.

"I should like to make formal protest," said Mr.

Chandra Lal. "Boracic powder very necessary for my eyes which much inflamed by study, was removed…" "And you'll be late too, Mr. Chandra Lal," said Mrs. Hubbard firmly.

"My Professor is often unpunctual," said Mr. Chandra Lal gloomily, but moving towards the door. "Also, he is irritable and unreasonable when I ask many questions of searching nature-was "Mais il faut qu'elle me le rende, ce compact," said Genevieve.

"You must speak English, Genevieve-you'll never learn English if you go back into French whenever you're excited. And you had Sunday dinner in this week and you haven't paid me for it." "Ah, I have not my purse just now. Tonight-Viens, Rend, nous serons en retard." "Please," said Mr. Akibombo, looking round him beseechingly. "I do not understand." "Come along, Akibombo," said Sally. "I'll tell you all about it on the way to the Institute." She nodded reassuringly to Mrs. Hubbard and steered the bewildered Akibombo out of the room.

"Oh dear," said Mrs. Hubbard, drawing a deep breath. "Why in the world I ever took this job on!" Valerie, who was the only person left, grinned in a friendly fashion.

"Don't worry, Ma," she said.

"It's a good thing it's all come out! Everyone was getting on the jumpy side." "I must say I was very surprised." "That it turned out to be Celia?" "Yes. Weren't you?" Valerie said in a rather absent voice, "Rather obvious, really, I should have thought." "Have you been thinking so all along?" "Well, one or two things made me wonder.

At any rate she's got Colin where she wants him." "Yes, I can't help feeling that it's wrong." "You can't get a man with a gun," Valerie laughed. "But a spot of kleptomania does the trick? Don't worry, Mum. And for God's sake make Celia give Genevieve back her compact, otherwise we shall never have any peace at meals." Mrs. Hubbard said with a sigh, "Nigel has cracked his saucer and the marmalade pot is broken." histo 'ell of a morning, isn't it?" said Valerie.

She went out. Mrs. Hubbard heard her voice in the hall saying cheerfully, "Good morning, Celia. The coast's clear. All is known and all is going to be forgiven-by order of Pious Jean. As for Colin, he's been roaring like a lion on your behalf." Celia came into the dining room. Her eyes were reddened with crying.