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to do similarly should I notice errors made by female staff. She then went on to point out that several pieces of silver had been laid out for the dining room which bore clear remains of polish. The end of one fork had been practically black. I thanked her and she withdrew back into her parlour. It had been unnecessary, of course, for her to mention that the silver was one of my father’s main responsibilities and one he took great pride in.
    It is very possible there were a number of other instances of this sort which I have now forgotten. In any case, I recall things reaching something of a climax one grey and drizzly afternoon when I was in the billiard room attending to LordDarlington’s sporting trophies. Miss Kenton had entered and said from the door:
    ‘Mr Stevens, I have just noticed something outside which puzzles me.’
    ‘What is that, Miss Kenton?’
    ‘Was it his lordship’s wish that the Chinaman on the upstairs landing should be exchanged with the one outside this door?’
    ‘The Chinaman, Miss Kenton?’
    ‘Yes, Mr Stevens. The Chinaman normally on the landing you will now find outside this door.’
    ‘I fear, Miss Kenton, that you are a little confused.’
    ‘I do not believe I am confused at all, Mr Stevens. I make it my business to acquaint myself with where objects properly belong in a house. The Chinamen, I would suppose, were polished by someone then replaced incorrectly. If you are sceptical, Mr Stevens, perhaps you will care to step out here and observe for yourself.’
    ‘Miss Kenton, I am occupied at present.’
    ‘But, Mr Stevens, you do not appear to believe what I am saying. I am thus asking you to step outside this door and see for yourself.’
    ‘Miss Kenton, I am busy just now and will attend to the matter shortly. It is hardly one of urgency.’
    ‘You accept then, Mr Stevens, that I am not in error on this point.’
    ‘I will accept nothing of the sort, Miss Kenton, until I have had a chance to deal with the matter. However, I am occupied at present.’
    I turned back to my business, but Miss Kenton remained in the doorway observing me. Eventually, she said:
    ‘I can see you will be finished very shortly, Mr Stevens. I will await you outside so that this matter may be finalized when you come out.’
    ‘Miss Kenton, I believe you are according this matter an urgency it hardly merits.’
    But Miss Kenton had departed, and sure enough, as I continued with my work, an occasional footstep or some other sound would serve to remind me she was still there outside the door. I decided therefore to occupy myself with some further tasks in the billiard room, assuming she would after a while see the ludicrousness of her position and leave. However, after some time had passed, and I had exhausted the tasks which could usefully be achieved with the implements I happened to have at hand, Miss Kenton was evidently still outside. Resolved not to waste further time on account of this childish affair, I contemplated departure via the french windows. A drawback to this plan was the weather – that is to say, several large puddles and patches of mud were in evidence – and the fact that one would need to return to the billiard room again at some point to bolt the french windows from the inside. Eventually, then, I decided the best strategy would be simply to stride out of the room very suddenly at a furious pace. I thus made my way as quietly as possible to a position from which I could execute such a march, and clutching my implements firmly about me, succeeded in propelling myself through the doorway and several paces down the corridor before a somewhat astonished Miss Kenton could recover her wits. This she did, however, rather rapidly and the next moment I found she had overtaken me and was standing before me, effectively barring my way.
    ‘Mr Stevens, that is the incorrect Chinaman, would you not agree?’
    ‘Miss Kenton, I am very busy. I am surprised you have nothing better to do than