at once indulged in some of my more extravagant behaviour.

"Where's your brother?" I heard a worker say.

"Brother!" said Daphne bitterly. "Coward! And I really thought
we should have him this time. Fled to London before we were up
this morning, thank you. From the amount of food he took with
him, and the way he took it, anyone would have thought he was an
escaped convict. Guilty conscience, I suppose. One hears a good
deal about record flights nowadays, but I'd back my miserable
brother against any aviator. My husband's promised to look in
about five, if he's back from Huntercombe. That's something.
But they're a wretched lot. Oh, here's one of the Pierrots!"

I hung the pail on my nose and looked at her.

"As one of the organizers of the fete," she said hastily, "I must
thank you- "

"Nothing doing, madam," said I, in an assumed voice.

"But"

"Free list entirely suspended, madam," and I shook the pail
mercilessly.

A small and grinning crowd had begun to collect, so Daphne parted
up with a forced smile, and I went off chuckling to queer the
animals' race.