* * * * *

The SMOKY CHIMNEY duly published the "Recessional," but it proved to be
its swan song, for the paper never attained to another issue.

Loona Bimberton gave up her intention of attending the Durbar and went
into a nursing-home on the Sussex Downs. Nervous breakdown after a
particularly strenuous season was the usually accepted explanation, but
there are three or four people who know that she never really recovered
from the dawn breaking over the Brahma-putra river.

A MATTER OF SENTIMENT

It was the eve of the great race, and scarcely a member of Lady Susan's
house-party had as yet a single bet on. It was one of those
unsatisfactory years when one horse held a commanding market position,
not by reason of any general belief in its crushing superiority, but
because it was extremely difficult to pitch on any other candidate to
whom to pin ones faith. Peradventure II was the favourite, not in the
sense of being a popular fancy, but by virtue of a lack of confidence
in any one of his rather undistinguished rivals. The brains of
clubland were much exercised in seeking out possible merit where none
was very obvious to the naked intelligence, and the house-party at Lady
Susan's was possessed by the same uncertainty and irresolution that
infected wider circles.

"It is just the time for bringing off a good coup," said Bertie van
Tahn.

"Undoubtedly. But with what?" demanded Clovis for the twentieth time.

The women of the party were just as keenly interested in the matter,
and just as helplessly perplexed; even the mother of Clovis, who
usually got good racing information from her dressmaker, confessed
herself fancy free on this occasion. Colonel Drake, who was professor
of military history at a minor cramming establishment, was the only
person who had a definite selection for the event, but as his choice
varied every three hours he was worse than useless as an inspired
guide. The crowning difficulty of the problem was that it could only
be fitfully and furtively discussed. Lady Susan disapproved of racing.
She disapproved of many things; some people went as far as to say that
she disapproved of most things. Disapproval was to her what neuralgia
and fancy needlework are to many other women. She disapproved of early
morning tea and auction bridge, of ski-ing and the two-step, of the
Russian ballet and the Chelsea Arts Club ball, of the French policy in
Morocco and the Br