The Brother of Daphne | Page 5

yielding place to new, and in a little space men
shall be content to wonder at your ancient memory as their grandfathers marvelled at that
of the frolics of my Lord of Misrule. However.
There was the booth. But that was all. It stood quite alone at the side of the white road. I
walked round it. Nothing. I glanced up and down the road, but there was no one in sight. I
had been feeling hungry, for it was seven o'clock; but this was better than breakfast, and I
returned to the bank. The little red curtains fluttered, as a passing breeze caught them, and
I marked how bright and new they looked. It was certainly in good condition- this booth.
"Well?" said a voice.

"Well?" said I.
A pause. A girl's voice it was: coming from within the booth.
"You seem rather surprised," said the voice.
"No, no," I said, "not really surprised. Only a little staggered. You see, I know so few
booths."
"What are you doing here?"
"To be frank, booth, I'm waiting."
"I'm waiting, too."
"So?" said I. "I wait, you wait, let us wait, ye shall have been about to see, they would- "
"What are you waiting for?"
"Developments. And you?"
"My breakfast."
I looked up and down the road. "I don't see it coming," I said anxiously. "What's it look
like?"
"Milk. You don't happen to have any, I suppose?"
I felt in my pockets.
"There, now," I said, "I must have left it on the piano. I got up rather hurriedly this
morning," I added apologetically.
"Never mind."
"I'll tell you what, booth, I'll go and get some."
"No, thanks very much. Don't you bother; it'll come along presently."
"Are you sure? This isn't 'The Blue Bird.'"
"Yes, it's all right- really."
There was another pause. Then:
"Hadn't you better be getting back to breakfast?" said the girl.
"Not much," said I. "I don't run up against booths every day. Besides- "

"Besides what?"
"Well, booth, I'm awfully curious."
"What do you want to know?"
"You're very good."
"I didn't say I'd tell you."
"I'll risk that. In a word, why are you?"
"Ah!"
I waited in silence for a few moments. At length:
"Suppose," she said slowly, "suppose a bet had been made."
"A bet?"
"A bet."
"Shocking! Go on."
"Well? Isn't that enough?"
"Nothing like."
"I don't think much of your imagination."
I raised my eyes to heaven. "A prophet is not without honour," I quoted.
"Is this your own country?"
"It is."
"Oh, I say, you'd be the very man!"
"I am," I said. "Refuse substitutes."
It gradually appeared that, in a rash moment, she had made some silly wager that she
could give a Punch and Judy show on her own in the village of Lynn Hammer and the
vicinity. Of course, she had not meant it. She had spoken quite idly, secure in the very
impracticability of the thing. But certain evil-disposed persons- referred to mysteriously
as 'they'-had fastened greedily upon her words, and, waving aside her objection that she
had no paraphernalia, deliberately proceeded to provide the same, that she might have no
excuse. The booth was run up, the puppets procured. The gentle hint that she wanted to
withdraw had been let fall at the exact moment with deadly effect, and- the wicked work
was done. She had been motored over and here set down, complete with booth, half an

hour ago. They were going to look back later, just to see how she was getting on. The
ordeal was to be over and the wager won by six o'clock, and she might have the
assistance of a native in her whimsical venture.
"Right up to the last I believe the brutes thought I would cry off," she said. "I very nearly
did, too, when it came to it. Only I saw Peter smiling. It is rather a hopeless position, isn't
it?"
"It was. But now that you've got your native- "
"Oh!" she said. Then: "But I've got one."
"Where?"
"He's getting the milk."
"I don't believe he is. Anyway, you can discharge him and take me on. I've been out of
work for years. Besides, you've been sent. In your advent I descry the finger of
Providence."
"I wish I did. What do you mean?"
"This day," I said, "I am perforce a zealot."
"A what?"
"A zealot- a Banana zealot. You, too, shall be a zealot. We will unite our zeal, and this
day light such a candle- "
"The man's mad," she said. "Quite mad."
I explained. "You see," I said, "it's like this. Simply miles away, somewhere south south
and by south of us, there are a lot of heathen. They're called Bananas. I don't know very
much about it, but there