172 IDLEHURST: 



fresh under the grey light, as the long room begins to 

 warm and thicken. The Rector begins the toast-list : 

 we drink " The Queen " somewhat perfunctorily. We 

 are not communist in Arnington, but we really do not 

 trouble our heads very much with affairs beyond a 

 six or seven mile radius from the Greyhound. Then 

 follows the "Bishop, the clergy, and ministers of all 

 denominations," given floridly by the Major, and drunk 

 without enthusiasm. We are somewhat apathetic 

 about the Church, and very decidedly so about the 

 Chapel. The Rector replies, short and dry, with half 

 a dozen ironic hints for those who can see them. The 

 Band is called upon for musical honours, and their 

 repertory being limited, treats us to an encore of 

 "God Save the Queen." We drink "The Army, the 

 Navy, and the Reserve Forces ; " the Major responds, 

 after a hurried and alarmed refusal from the General 

 " Never did such a thing in my life ! " We drink to 

 the Order, the Court, and the Doctor; the first of 

 these being proposed by Brother Gander, a carpenter, 

 short and grey with prominent eyes, a fairly fluent 

 speaker, and therefore held among his brethren a 

 leader of men. On this occasion, I regret to say, 

 Brother Gander is a little incoherent, and drifts away 

 hazily into larger reviews, only to be brought up by 

 several calls of " no politics " from the back of the 



