HOTELS AND OTHERWISE 129 



Dublin had meant to leave three days ago, and he 

 went around the country buyin' turkeys. Six he 

 had in a basket. An' he did not leave until this 

 blessed day, so the turkeys was above, since. . . . 

 But sure Mary Anne would wash the flure an' 

 welcome, so there wouldn't be the taste of a 

 smhell ... it was hours to the night." 



Turkeys unfortunately possess other things 

 besides smells. Small things which creep. 



The two fled hurriedly and prayed for rooms, 

 any rooms, at another over-full hotel, but where 

 they did not store turkeys in the bedrooms of Mr. 

 Day leys from Dublin. 



I went in to luncheon the year before last, after 

 a very long hunt which finished about one o'clock 

 near a village ; the hotel is an excellent one, but 

 still we had a laugh there. 



I do not eat luncheon, but had to wait for my 

 car, so said I would watch the others. 



My host, distressed, saw an omelette on the 

 menu and asked if I would take some of that. 



" Yes, if it's a savoury omelette." 



" Mary," he hailed the maid. " Is there an 

 omelette all right ? — ^There may not be one," he 

 confided. 



" There is. Major." 



** Bring some to this lady. Is it a savoury 

 omelette, Mary ? " 



" It is, Major." 



But he knew the place better than I did. 



9 



