23 AUGUST 2008, Page 55

Q. The first week our new cleaning lady came she

brought some eggs from her own free-range hens which we all agreed were delicious and we thanked her very sincerely. Our problem is that, eight weeks in, she is still bringing us the eggs, twice a week, and we really do not want to a) take that number of eggs off her — she refuses to accept money; or, b) consume that many eggs per week. How can we tactfully get her to stop this misplaced generosity?

Name and address withheld A. Break the impasse by announcing that her eggs have been so popular with friends you would now like to buy a dozen per week from her for redistribution purposes. Then say, ‘You must not give us any more eggs for ourselves because we don’t want any to go to waste and we never know when we will see our friends.’ In this way your cleaning lady can have deserved financial reward for her efforts.