upon this subject. I will not," cried Miss Mapp, "say a word to defend
or justify myself. What is true will prevail. It comes in the Bible."

Mrs. Poppit was too much interested in what she said to mind where it
came from.

"What can I do?" she asked.

"Contradict, dear, the rumour that I have had anything to do with the
terrible thing which might have happened last week. Say on my authority
that it is so. I tremble to think"--here she trembled very much--"what
might happen if the report reached Major Benjy's ears, and he found out
who had started it. We must have no more duels in Tilling. I thought I
should never survive that morning."

"I will go and tell Mr. Wyse instantly--dear," said Mrs. Poppit.

That would never do. True believers were so scarce that it was wicked to
think of unsettling their faith.

"Poor Mr. Wyse!" said Miss Mapp with a magnanimous smile. "Do not think,
dear, of troubling him with these little trumpery affairs. He will not
take part in these little tittle-tattles. But if you could let dear Diva
and quaint Irene and sweet Evie and the good Padre know that I laugh at
all such nonsense----"

"But they laugh at it, too," said Mrs. Poppit.

That would have been baffling for anyone who allowed herself to be
baffled, but that was not Miss Mapp's way.

"Oh, that bitter laughter!" she said. "It hurt me to hear it. It was
envious laughter, dear, scoffing, bitter laughter. I heard! I cannot
bear that the dear things should feel like that. Tell them that I say
how silly they are to believe anything of the sort. Trust me, I am right
about it. I wash my hands of such nonsense."

She made a vivid dumb-show of this, and after drying them on an
imaginary towel, let a sunny smile peep out the eyes which she had
rubbed.

"All gone!" she said; "and we will have a dear little party on Wednesday
to show we are all friends again. And we meet for lunch at dear Mr.
Wyse's the next day? Yes? He will get tired of poor little me if he sees
me two days running, so I shall not ask him. I will just try to get two
tables together, and nobody shall contradict dear Diva, however many
shillings she says she has won. I would sooner pay them all myself than
have any more of our unhappy divisions. You will have talked to them
all before Wednesday, will you not, dear?"

As there were only four to talk to, Mrs. Poppit thought that she could
manage it, and spent a most interesting afternoon. For two years now she
had