Let it take pot-luck with the rest
of us."
A sudden burst of uncontrollable laughter made me turn sharply, to find
that the reserve had fallen from our chilly waitress, who was vainly
endeavouring to smother her laughter in her professional napkin.
"Oh, Bill!" she cried, "you've done it now. The game's up."
The old lady and gentleman arose in outraged dignity and started to
leave the room, when a diversion was caused by the entrance of a
pleasant-faced lady in hat and cloak. I had been semi-conscious for
some moments of a motor-engine running at the hotel door.
"Oh, Mr. Gunthorpe, what luck!" cried the newcomer. "I've collected a
full staff, and brought them all up from Dolgelly with me, look you."
"Thank heaven!" exclaimed the proprietor. "As soon as your barmaid is
on her job we'll drink all their healths. I hope you won't be annoyed,
Miss Jones, but I fear, I very greatly fear, you will lose a couple of
likely customers at dawn or soon after. Here they are. Perhaps you can
still pacify them. I can't."
Miss Jones turned to the old couple, who were waiting for the doorway
to clear, with a disarming and conciliatory smile.
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