At the close of dinner, which from a professional viewpoint had been executed

without any significant difficulties, his lordship rose to address his guests.

 

He opened by expressing his gratitude to all present that the discussions during

the previous two days, 'though at times exhilaratingly frank', had been

conducted in a spirit of friendship and the desire to see good prevail. The

unity witnessed over the two days had been greater than he could ever have hoped

for, and the remaining morning's session of 'rounding up' would, he trusted, be

rich in commitments on the part of participants concerning action each would be

taking before the important international conference in Switzerland. It was

around this point - and I have no idea if he had planned to do so beforehand -

that his lordship began to reminisce about his late friend, Herr KarlHeinz

Bremann. This was a little unfortunate, the topic being one close to his

lordship's heart and one he was inclined to explicate at some length. It should

also be said, perhaps, that Lord Darlington was never what might be called a

natural public speaker, and soon all those small sounds of restlessness that

betray that an audience's attention has been lost grew steadily around the room.

Indeed, by the time Lord Darlington had finally come round to bidding his guests

rise and drink to 'peace and justice in Europe', the level of such noises -

perhaps on account of the liberal amounts of wine that had been consumed -

struck me as bordering on the ill- mannered.

 

The company had seated themselves again, and conversation was just beginning to

resume, when there came an authoritative rapping of knuckles upon wood and M.