SINGAPORE HAS FALLEN

By KATE O'BRIEN HE clock chimed four, and an elderly gentleman entered the lounge. He moved an armchair close to the fire, and also a small table with a copper top. The fire was bright and

hot. The elderly gentleman sat down and folded his hands. He was very handsome, and his knickerbocker suit became him well. He looked about him slowly, and at the clock. He did not• seem pleased.

Some ladies came in, bright and sociable. One of them came and sat beside the elderly gentleman.

"Tea is late," he said to her.

She laughed merrily.

"My poor darling, of course it's late." She threw a gay glance over the lounge to her lady friends. Her large torso was shaped like a Christmas pudding ; she wore a salmon-coloured jersey. "My poor husband, with his touching hope of getting tea on tune!" she said.

"Dear Sir James,." said a lady iii a pixie hood. "Still dream- ing of perfection, after eighteen months of this hotel! "

A waiter and waitress were hurriedly putting bans and bread- and-butter on the copper-topped tables. The waiter had a limp, and wore very thick glasses. The waitress was a neat, nimble child of fifteen.

"It's seven minutes past four," Sir James said, clearly, to each of them in turn.

Salmon-coloured Jersey pulled a toasting fork out of a large embroidered bag, and set to work to toast a bun.

"Two years, Mrs. Hollingsby," she corrected her friend in the pixie hood. ' "Sir James and I are the oldest inhabitants

now, I think. ,We were among the very first to realise that Surrey was going to be. quite impossible! Besides, with that great house, we were simply terrified of evacuees, my dear! "

"And how right you werel " said a lady with pince-nez and a double chin. "And yet, when one thinks of all one's beautiful things in store."

"Oh, let's keep it cheerful! " said the .pixie hood.

Salmon Jersey took a little tin out of her bag, and buttered the bun,

"Begin on that, you poor darling," she-said to Sir James. "And here is tea, actually arriving! Miraculous!" said. Pixie. The teapots went round. Everyone began to eat and drink.

"I stored everything," said the double-chinned lady. "Abso- lutely everything. My lawyer advised me to." "Store every- thing, Mrs. Buckshott," he said. And so I did. Even my dressing-table things, if you'll believe me. Beautiful enamel, of cour,e." "

"Oh, one can't be too careful, I always say," said Salmon. "Here is your second bun, my pet."

Sir James took the second bun, which was spread with jam. "Have you heard of the management's new ramp with our soap .coupons, Lady Drimble? " asked Pixie.

"Have I not, my dear! Really, don't you think we should all protest, en masse? The jam scandal was bad enough, and I still don't see why we stand for it ---"

"Nor do I," said Double Chin. "Considering what we pay here. The profiteering must be criminal, and I know for a fact they have enormous hoards of jam."

"If the place was clean, one mightn't grudge them one's house- hold coupons! " said Pixie, with a tolerant laugh.

"Yes—but how is one to manage on three ounces of toilet soap? asked Salmon.

"Have you brought the new cake downstairs? " Sir James asked her.

"Yes, darling. I must say," said Salmon, as she plunged into the bag again, "I must say it's a comfort that I am still able to get these home-made cakes sent on from Surrey."

"Time they were sending another chicken," said Sir James.

"The menu does pall in this place," said Double Chin. "Even in war-time, you'd think that with just a little imagination —" "Oh, my dear," said Pixie, "don't you know that these West Country people are bone from the ears up? Take the Clubhouse, for instance. Pamela and I went up this morning, and there just wasn't a caddie in sight. Not one. It was a bit cold to play, anyhow, so we just thought we'd stay and knit. But do you know that those radiators were stone-cold? With today's temperature! " Everyone shivered sympathetically. "And that wretched stove thing was smoking. Actually smoking."

"Disgraceful," said Double Chin. "I really can't imagine why we are all spending so much money in this hole of a place."

"Oh, let's keep it cheerful," said bright Pixie. "Pamela had the blues this morning. Her brother was at Singapore, you know."

"Yes, indeed, poor girl. But really, to listen to poor old Pamela, you'd imagine that her brother was the only person serving in this war!" said Salmon.

"No self-control," said Double Chin.

"I want some more cake," said Sir James.

"What I'm very hot on in this hotel," said Pixie, "is the wine racket."

"How right you are," said Salmon.

"Of course Dudley buys a good deal of stuff, and we have plenty in our room, so it doesn't matter to us really, but just on principle."

"Well, when it comes to I is. a bottle for Hungarian hock that was 4s. 6d. a year ago," said Salmon.

"Exactly. Dudley ticked the waiter' off good and hard last week-end over the price of brandy here. There's a ramp, if you like! "

"I'm very partial to a good Nuit St. Georges," said Double Chin, "and I happen to know, through my lawyer, that there is plenty of it about still."

"Dudley says he's given up drink for Lent," said Pixie. "Well, that's very good of him, really," said Salmon.

"Oh, he'll have forgotten about it by this week-end," said Pixie, merrily. "If ever there was a time when a few drinks were abso- lutely essential—" "Exactly, my dear," said Salmon. "Heavens, no more milk?' What a war! "

"What a war, indeed! " said Double Chin. "It gets worse every minute. Why, only last Easter—I was at Torquay then— we were still having 'bubbly' parties. Several people gave them."

"How lovely! You were gay at Torquay! Have you had enough cake, darling? Shall I put it away?"

"Well—be sure you shut the tin properly," said Sir James. Then he settled himself in his chair and fell asleep.

The waiter and waitress began to remove the tea-things from the copper-topped tables. The lounge was quiet and hot. The clock chimed the half-hour.

"What about a spot of bridge?" said Pixie.