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really her fault for not being clearer," Laura Glyde put in. "Oh, clearness and Fanny Roby!" Mrs. Ballinger shrugged. "I daresay we shall find she was mistaken on almost every point." "Why not look it up?" said Mrs. Plinth. As a rule this recurrent suggestion of Mrs. Plinth's was ignored in the heat of discussion, and only resorted to afterward in the privacy of each member's home. But on the present occasion the desire to ascribe their own confusion of thought to the vague and contradictory nature of Mrs. Roby's statements caused the members of the Lunch Club to utter a collective demand for a book of reference. At this point the production of her treasured volume gave Mrs. Leveret, for a moment, the unusual experience of occupying the centre front; but she was not able to hold it long, for Appropriate Allusions contained no mention of Xingu. "Oh, that's not the kind of thing we want!" exclaimed Miss Van Vluyck. She cast a disparaging glance over Mrs. Ballinger's assortment of literature, and added impatiently: "Haven't you any useful books?" "Of course I have," replied Mrs. Ballinger indignantly; "I keep them in my husband's dressing-room." From this region, after some difficulty and delay, the parlour-maid produced the W-Z volume of an Encyclopaedia and, in deference to the fact that the demand for it had come from Miss Van Vluyck, laid the ponderous tome before her. There was a moment of painful suspense while Miss Van Vluyck rubbed her spectacles, adjusted them, and turned to Z; and a murmur of surprise when she said: "It isn't here." "I suppose," said Mrs. Plinth, "it's not fit to be put in a book of reference." "Oh, nonsense!" exclaimed Mrs. Ballinger. "Try X." Miss Van Vluyck turned back through the volume, peering short-sightedly up and down the pages, till she came to a stop and remained motionless, like a dog on a point. "Well, have you found it?" Mrs. Ballinger enquired after a considerable delay. "Yes. I've found it," said Miss Van Vluyck in a queer voice. Mrs. Plinth hastily interposed: "I beg you won't read it aloud if there's anything offensive." Miss Van Vluyck, without answering, continued her silent scrutiny. "Well, what _is_ it?" exclaimed Laura Glyde excitedly. "_Do_ tell us!" urged Mrs. Leveret, feeling that she would have something awful to tell her sister. Miss Van Vluyck pushed the volume aside and turned slowly toward the expectant group. "It's a riv
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