finally relent a little and make some conciliatory response or other, allowing

us once and for all to put the whole episode behind us. Miss Kenton, however,

simply looked at me sternly and said:

 

"I still have every intention of handing in my notice, Mr Stevens. It is merely

that I have been so busy, I have not had time to see to the matter."

 

This did, I must admit, make me a little concerned for a time that she was

serious about her threat. But then as week followed week, it became clear that

there was no question of her leaving Darlington Hall, and as the atmosphere

between us gradually thawed, I suppose I tended to tease her every now and again

by reminding her of her threatened resignation. For instance, if we were

discussing some future large occasion to be held at the house, I might put in:

"That is, Miss Kenton, assuming you are still with us at that stage." Even

months after the event, such remarks still tended to make Miss Kenton go quiet -

though by this stage, I fancy, this was due more to embarrassment than anger.

 

Eventually, of course, the matter came to be, by and large, forgotten. But I

remember it coming up one last time well over a year after the dismissal of the

two maids.

 

It was his lordship who initially revived the matter one afternoon when I was

serving his tea in the drawing room. By then, Mrs Carolyn Barnet's days of

influence over his lordship were well over - indeed, the lady had ceased to be a

visitor at Darlington Hall altogether. It is worth pointing out, furthermore,