chosen in the same ambitious spirit, and by the time they had arrived at
the wild duck course it was beginning to be a rather expensive lunch.

The conversation hardly kept pace with the brilliancy of the menu.
Repeated references on the part of the guests to the local political
conditions and prospects in Sir James's constituency were met with vague
"ahs" and "indeeds" from Lady Drakmanton, who might have been expected to
be specially interested.

"I think when the Insurance Act is a little better understood it will
lose some of its present unpopularity," hazarded Cecilia Smithly-Dubb.

"Will it? I dare say. I'm afraid politics don't interest me very much,"
said Lady Drakmanton.

The three Miss Smithly-Dubbs put down their cups of Turkish coffee and
stared. Then they broke into protesting giggles.

"Of course, you're joking," they said.

"Not me," was the disconcerting answer; "I can't make head or tail of
these bothering old politics. Never could, and never want to. I've
quite enough to do to manage my own affairs, and that's a fact."

"But," exclaimed Amanda Smithly-Dubb, with a squeal of bewilderment
breaking into her voice, "I was told you spoke so informingly about the
Insurance Act at one of our social evenings."

It was Lady Drakmanton who stared now. "Do you know," she said, with a
scared look around her, "rather a dreadful thing is happening. I'm