screant with the glad
tidings that Miss Mapp would hear his supplication with a favourable
ear, and she took up a stately position in the garden-room, which she
selected as audience chamber, near the bell so that she could ring for
Withers if necessary.

* * * * *

Miss Mapp's mercy was largely tempered with justice, and she proposed,
in spite of the leniency which she would eventually exhibit, to give
Puffin "what for," first. She had not for him, as for Major Benjy, that
feminine weakness which had made it a positive luxury to forgive him:
she never even thought of Puffin as Captain Dicky, far less let the
pretty endearment slip off her tongue accidentally, and the luxury which
she anticipated from the interview was that of administering a quantity
of hard slaps. She had appointed half-past twelve as the hour for his
suffering, so that he must go without his golf again.

She put down the book she was reading when he appeared, and gazed at him
stonily without speech. He limped into the middle of the room. This
might be forgiveness, but it did not look like it, and he wondered
whether she had got him here on false pretences.

"Good morning," said he.

Miss Mapp inclined her head. Silence was gold.

"I understood from Major Flint----" began Puffin.

Speech could be gold too.

"If," said Miss Mapp, "you have come to speak about Major Flint you have
wasted your time. And mine!"

(How different from Major Benjy, she thought. What a shrimp!)

The shrimp gave a slight gasp. The thing had got to be done, and the
sooner he was out of range of this powerful woman the better.

"I am extremely sorry for what I said to you the other night," he said.

"I am glad you are sorry," said Miss Mapp.

"I offer you my apologies for what I said," continued Puffin.

The whip whistled.

"When you spoke to me on the occasion to which you refer," said Miss
Mapp, "I saw of course at once that you were not in a condition to speak
to anybody. I instantly did you that justice, for I am just to
everybody. I paid no more attention to what you said than I should have
paid to any tipsy vagabond in the slums. I daresay you hardly remember
what you said, so that before I hear your expression of regret, I will
remind you of it. You threatened, unless I promised to tell nobody in
what a disgusting condition you were, to say that I was tipsy. Elizabeth
Mapp tipsy! That was what you said, Captain Puffin."

Ca