Bundercombe here, or must I
rise from my seat in a public place and remove him myself from--from that
hussy?"
I appealed to Eve.
"Eve," I begged, "please reason with your stepmother. There are certain
situations in life that can be faced in one way only. Mrs. Bundercombe
will no doubt have a few words to say to her husband on his return. Let
her keep them until then."
"Paul is right!" Eve declared. "Do take our advice!" she continued,
turning to her stepmother. "Let us eat our luncheon quite calmly. I am
perfectly certain dad will have some very good reason to give for his
presence here with that young lady."
Mrs. Bundercombe rose to her feet. I hastened to follow her example. We
stood confronting one another.
"It is either you or I, Paul!" she insisted.
"Then it had better be myself," I groaned.
I deposited my napkin on the table and made my way toward Mr. Bundercombe.
I smiled pleasantly at him and bowed apologetically toward his companion.
"Sorry," I said under my breath, "but I am afraid Mrs. Bundercombe means
to make trouble!"
Mr. Bundercombe looked at me with a gloriously blank expression. His
manner was not without dignity.
"I regret to hear," he replied, "that any person by the name of Mrs.
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