Miss Mapp curbed her indignation at this vulgar squandering of precious liquids, so characteristic of Poppits. She gave a shrill little laugh.

“Oh, no, thank you, Boon!” she said. “I mustn’t have any more. Delicious, though.”

Major Flint let Boon fill up his cup while he was not looking.

“And we owe this to your grandmother, Miss Mapp?” he asked gallantly. “That’s a second debt.”

Miss Mapp acknowledged this polite subtlety with a reservation.

“But not the champagne in it, Major,” she said. “Grandmamma Nap——”

The Major beat his thigh in ecstasy.

“Ha! That’s a good Spoonerism for Miss Isabel’s book,” he said. “Miss Isabel, we’ve got a new——”

Miss Mapp was very much puzzled at this slight confusion in her speech, for her utterance was usually remarkably distinct. There might be some little joke made at her expense on the effect of Grandmamma Mapp’s invention if this lovely Spoonerism was published. But if she who had only just tasted the red-currant fool tripped in her speech, how amply were Major Flint’s good nature and Captain Puffin’s incessant laugh accounted for. She herself felt very good-natured, too. How pleasant it all was!

“Oh, naughty!” she said to the Major. “Pray, hush! you’re disturbing them at their rubber. And here’s the Padre back again!”

The new rubber had only just begun (indeed, it was[48] lucky that they cut their cards without any delay) when Mrs. Poppit appeared on her return from her expedition to London. Miss Mapp begged her to take her hand, and instantly began playing.

[48]

“It would really be a kindness to me, Mrs. Poppit,” she said; “(No diamonds at all, partner?) but of course, if you won’t—— You’ve been missing such a lovely party. So much enjoyment!”

Suddenly she saw that Mrs. Poppit was wearing on her ample breast a small piece of riband with a little cross attached to it. Her entire stock of good-humour vanished, and she smiled her widest.

“We needn’t ask what took you to London,” she said. “Congratulations! How was the dear King?”

This rubber was soon over, and even as they were adding up the score, there arose 

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