‘Miss Louise has been upstairs all the afternoon, ma’am, reading to the second kitchenmaid, who has the neuralgia. I took up tea to Miss Louise at a quarter to five o’clock, ma’am.’

‘Of course, how silly of me. I remember now, I asked her to read the Faërie Queene to poor Emma, to try to send her to sleep. I always get some one to read the Faërie Queene to me when I have neuralgia, and it usually sends me to sleep. Louise doesn’t seem to have been successful, but one can’t say she hasn’t tried. I expect after the first hour or so the kitchenmaid would rather have been left alone with her neuralgia, but of course Louise wouldn’t leave off till some one told her to. Anyhow, you can ring up Mornay’s, Robert, and ask whether I left two theatre tickets there. Except for your silk, Susan, those seem to be the only things I’ve forgotten this afternoon. Quite wonderful for me.’