"I see," said Luscombe thoughtfully. "These people; decayed aristocrats, impoverished members of the old county families, they are all so much mise en scene?"

Mr. Humfries nodded agreement.

"I really wonder no one else has thought of it. Of course I found Bertram's ready made, so to speak. All it needed was some rather expensive restoration. All the people who come here think it's something that they've discovered for themselves, that no one else knows about."

"I suppose," said Luscombe, "that the restoration was quite expensive?"

"Oh yes. The place has got to look Edwardian, but it's got to have the modern comforts that we take for granted in these days. Our old dears-if you will forgive me referring to them as that-have got to feel that nothing has changed since the turn of the century, and our travelling clients have got to feel they can have period surroundings, and still have what they are used to having at home, and can't really live without!"

"Bit difficult sometimes?" suggested Luscombe.

"Not really. Take central heating for instance. Americans require-need, I should say-at least ten degrees Fahrenheit higher than English people do. We actually have two quite different sets of bedrooms. The English we put in one lot, the Americans in the other. The rooms all look alike, but they are full of actual differences-electric razors, and showers as well as tubs in some of the bathrooms, and if you want an American breakfast, it's there-cereals and iced orange juice and all-or if you prefer you can have the English breakfast."

"Eggs and bacon?"

"As you say-but a good deal more than that if you want it. Kippers, kidneys and bacon, cold grouse, York ham. Oxford marmalade."

"I must remember all that tomorrow morning. Don't get that sort of thing any more at home."

Humfries smiled. "Most gentlemen only ask for eggs and bacon. They've-well, they've got out of the way of thinking about the things there used to be."