in the devising of a staff plan. Who knows how many quarrels, false accusations,

unnecessary dismissals, how many promising careers cut short can be attributed

to a butler's slovenliness at the stage of drawing up the staff plan? Indeed, I

can say I am in agreement with those who say that the ability to draw up a good

staff plan is the cornerstone of any decent butler's skills. I have myself

devised many staff plans over the years, and I do not believe I am being unduly

boastful if I say that very few ever needed amendment. And if in the present

case the staff plan is at fault, blame can be laid at no one's door but my own.

At the same time, it is only fair to point out that my task in this instance had

been of an unusually difficult order.

 

What had occurred was this. Once the transactions were over - transactions which

had taken this house out of the hands of the Darlington family after two

centuries - Mr Farraday let it be known that he would not be taking up immediate

residence here, but would spend a further four months concluding matters in the

United States. In the meantime, however, he was most keen that the staff of his

predecessor - a staff of which he had heard high praise - be retained at

Darlington Hall. This 'staff' he referred to was, of course, nothing more than

the skeleton team of six kept on by Lord Darlington's relatives to administer to

the house up to and throughout the transactions; and I regret to report that

once the purchase had been completed, there was little I could do for Mr

Farraday to prevent all but Mrs Clements leaving for other employment. When I

wrote to my new employer conveying my regrets at the situation, I received by

reply from America instructions to recruit a new staff 'worthy of a grand old

English house'. I immediately set about trying to fulfil Mr Farraday's wishes,