I feel they don't really care about it. They're only
just waiting till to-morrow morning, so that they can go out and kill
something. Even Bee's like that!"

Mrs. Pendyce was not exaggerating. The guests at Worsted Skeynes on the
night of the Rutlandshire Handicap were nearly all county people, from
the Hon. Gertrude Winlow, revolving like a faintly coloured statue, to
young Tharp, with his clean face and his fair bullety head, who danced
as though he were riding at a bullfinch. In a niche old Lord Quarryman,
the Master of the Gaddesdon, could be discerned in conversation with Sir
James Malden and the Reverend Hussell Barter.

Mrs. Pendyce said:

"Your husband and Lord Quarryman are talking of poachers; I can tell
that by the look of their hands. I can't help sympathising a little with
poachers."

Lady Malden dropped her eyeglasses.

"James takes a very just view of them," she said. "It's such an
insidious offence. The more insidious the offence the more important
it is to check it. It seems hard to punish people for stealing bread or
turnips, though one must, of course; but I've no sympathy with poachers.
So many of them do it for sheer love of sport!"

Mrs. Pendyce answered:

"That's Captain Maydew dancing with her now. He is a good dancer.
Don't their steps fit? Don't they look happy? I do like people to enjoy
themselves! There is such a dreadful lot of unnecessary sadness and
suffering in the world. I think it's really all because people won't
make allowances for each other."

Lady Malden looked at her sideways, pursing her lips; but Mrs. Pendyce,
by race a Totteridge, continued to smile. She had been born unconscious
of her neighbours' scrutinies.

"Helen Bellew," she said, "was such a lovely girl. Her grandfather was
my mother's cousin. What does that make her? Anyway, my cousin, Gregory
Vigil, is her first cousin once removed--the Hampshire Vigils. Do you
know him?"

Lady Malden answered:

"Gregory Vigil? The man with a lot of greyish hair? I've had to do with
him in the S.R.W.C."

But Mrs. Pendyce was dancing mentally.

"Such a good fellow! What is that--the----?"

Lady Malden gave her a sharp look.

"Society for the Rescue of Women and Children, of course. Surely you
know about that?"

Mrs. Pendyce continued to smile.

"Ah, yes, that is nice! What a beautiful figure she has! It's so
refreshing. I envy a woman with a figure like that; it looks as if it
would never grow old. 'Society for t