she
ran into Diva.

"News," said Diva. "Met Mr. Wyse just now. Engaged to Susan. All over
the town by now. Everybody knows. Oh, there's the Padre for the first
time."

She shot across the street, and Miss Mapp, shaking the dust of Diva off
her feet, proceeded on her chagrined way. Annoyed as she was with Diva,
she was almost more annoyed with Susan. After all she had done for
Susan, Susan ought to have told her long ago, pledging her to secrecy.
But to be told like this by that common Diva, without any secrecy at
all, was an affront that she would find it hard to forgive Susan for.
She mentally reduced by a half the sum that she had determined to
squander on Susan's wedding-present. It should be plated, not silver,
and if Susan was not careful, it shouldn't be plated at all.

She had just come out of the chemist's, after an indignant interview
about precipitated chalk. He had deposited the small packet on the
counter, when she asked to have it sent up to her house. He could not
undertake to deliver small packages. She left the precipitated chalk
lying there. Emerging, she heard a loud, foreign sort of scream from
close at hand. There was the Contessa, all by herself, carrying a
marketing basket of unusual size and newness. It contained a bloody
steak and a crab.

"But where is your basket, Miss Mapp?" she exclaimed. "Algernon told me
that all the great ladies of Tilling went marketing in the morning with
big baskets, and that if I aspired to be _du monde_, I must have my
basket, too. It is the greatest fun, and I have already written to Cecco
to say I am just going marketing with my basket. Look, the steak is for
Figgis, and the crab is for Algernon and me, if Figgis does not get it.
But why are you not _du monde_? Are you _du demi-monde_, Miss Mapp?"

She gave a croak of laughter and tickled the crab....

"Will he eat the steak, do you think?" she went on. "Is he not lively? I
went to the shop of Mr. Hopkins, who was not there, because he was
engaged with Miss Coles. And was that not Miss Coles last night at my
brother's? The one who spat in the fire when nobody but I was looking?
You are enchanting at Tilling. What is Mr. Hopkins doing with Miss
Coles? Do they kiss? But your market basket: that disappoints me, for
Algernon said you had the biggest market-basket of all. I bought the
biggest I could find: is it as big as yours?"

Miss Mapp's head was in a whirl. The Contessa said in the loudest
possible voice