THE BUNDLE OF LETTERS 231 



beast comes near Crowsnest I won't be answerable 

 for what I'll do to him." 



" That would be the worst poHcy in the world," 

 said Miss Grimshaw. "If he comes here we 

 must meet him with his own weapons if we can — 

 but he won't come here." In this she was wrong. 



" I wouldn't mind so much," she finished, " only 

 for this wretched bazaar on the fifth. I have to 

 help at a stall. You can imagine what it must 

 be to keep a straight face and smile at people 

 one doesn't particularly care for, standing all the 

 time, as it were, on a powder magazine. Besides, 

 just imagine, if a man in possession came down, 

 and if the fact leaks out, how all these Crowsnest 

 Society people will snub us and sneer at us. You 

 don't know them. I do." 



" There are an awful lot of old cats here," 

 conceded Mr Dashwood, not knowing what else 

 to say. 



" Makes one feel one would Hke to put out 

 poisoned milk for them," said the girl. " Well, 

 here we are, and there's Mr French." 



They had reached the top of the path, and 

 French, who was standing in the verandah of the 

 bungalow, like a watchman on the lookout for 

 enemies, hailed them. 



