bachelor G.J.'s long intimacy with her, and of their having both
been at Lechford House on the night of the raid, and both been at
the inquest on the body of Lady Queenie Paulle on that very day.
But nobody could have guessed from their placid and self-possessed
demeanour that either of them had just emerged from a series of
ordeals. They won a deep and full respect. Still, some people ventured
to have their own ideas; and an ingenuous few were surprised to find
that the legend was only a woman after all, and a rather worn
woman, not indeed very recognisable from her innumerable portraits.
Nevertheless the respect for the pair was even increased when G.J.
broached the first item on the agenda--a resolution of respectful
sympathy with the Marquis and Marchioness of Lechford in their
bereavement, of profound appreciation of the services of Lady Queenie
on the committee, and of an intention to send by the chairman to the
funeral a wreath to be subscribed for by the members. G.J. proposed
the resolution himself, and it was seconded by a lady and supported
by a gentleman whose speeches gave no hint that Lady Queenie had again
and again by her caprices nearly driven the entire committee into a
lunatic asylum and had caused several individual resignations. G.J.
put the resolution without a tremor; it was impressively carried; and
Concepcion wrote down the terms of it quite calmly in her secretarial
notes. The performance of the pair was marvellous, and worthy of the
English race.

Then arrived Sir Stephen Bradern. Sir Stephen was chairman of the
French Hospitals Management Sub-committee.

G.J. said:

"Sir Stephen, you are just too late for the resolution as to Lady