"Tell me, Stevens, we have a few on the staff at the moment, don't we? Jews, I

mean."

 

"I believe two of the present staff members would fall into that category, sir."

 

"Ah." His lordship paused for a moment, staring out of his window. "Of course,

you'll have to let them go."

 

"I beg your pardon, sir?"

 

"It's regrettable, Stevens, but we have no choice.

 

There's the safety and well-being of my guests to consider. Let me assure you,

I've looked into this matter and thought it through thoroughly. It's in all our

best interests."

 

The two staff members concerned were, in fact, both housemaids. It would hardly

have been proper, then, to have taken any action without first informing Miss

Kenton of the situation, and I resolved to do just this that same evening when I

met her for cocoa in her parlour. I should perhaps say a few words here

concerning these meetings in her parlour at the end of each day. These were, let

me say, overwhelmingly professional in tone - though naturally we might discuss

some informal topics from time to time. Our reason for instituting such meetings

was simple: we had found that our respective lives were often so busy, several