21 SEPTEMBER 1956, Page 20

Conversation Piece

Now as I said to 'Dickie' Mountbatten, When Noel (or Willie) was there, And the talk, of an intimate pattern, Was racy, allusive and rare—

Well, perhaps it'd sound a bit silly To some, if I started to tell What I actually said before Willie, (Or Noel) and Dickie as well, For I shouted 'Hallo, there!' to Dickie, And though I'm not easy to flatten, The silence grew more and more tricky- ! got no reply from Mountbatten.

But there's nothing to prove it was hooey, And surely the thought that'll stick Is that I can refer to Lord Louis (Except in his presence) as Dick.

E. ARNOT ROBERTSON