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"I’m honored that you think so," Fletch said "I merely took your advice"

"Mine?"

"You told ht" A very pleasingto their collective feet came to mind

"I’ve told that bit of wisdo man and they’ve paid me no mind But you created a story that swept the House, Fletcher" He clapped hiht be the savior of the party And"--he added, leaving--"that le is lucky to have you as his landlord"

Fletch grinned out at the twilight and the snow It was a good speech And he already had the topic of his next one ready It would tackle the question of the African slave trade, the dirty little secret that no one discussed and from which many profited He saw the shape of the speech in his anization Its rightness

When he finally strolled upstairs and proceeded to read his mail in his bath, his letters were entirely satisfactory Soroo to hi to do with the druht

Though that didn’t stop hi the way the room fell silent as he entered

Poppy leapt to her feet and fleard hi to his ar his oide

But she stopped short, waving a sheet of foolscap in the air "Fletch, so horrible has happened to my mother!"

He raised an eyebrow "She choked on her own venom and--"

"Fletch!"

His beloved, far-too-kind little wife frowned at hi awful has happened to my mother I have this letter from her" She handed it to hi over Poppy’s shoulder that the rest of the coroup of actresses after the Prince of Wales cohter, Duchess of Fletcher, Countess Fulke, Baroness Ryskamp & etc" He raised an eyebrow and Poppy interjected

"You know my mother, Fletch She adores all those titles Just read the note"

"I have suffered a great calah my soul is as innocent of this calumny as the purest flower, no impartial words can savein the ears of anvils Poppy, this doesn’t er’s block, is it not?"

"It’s not anvils, Fletch, but angels Truth’s words hang in the ears of angels"

"What’s this part about the devil--oh, I see,his true foe Who is the de vil’s foe? Your ht she and de vil were close companions rather than enemies, he added to himself

"I’raph She isn’t quite so excited and it makes more sense"

"Gossip is a subtle knave and like the plague strikes into the brain of truth and rageth in his entrails--U about her?"

"Keep going!"

"Worse than the poison of a red-haired ossiping about her?"

"No! I’m not sure what she meant by that"

"Well, Axested "Course I didn’t knoas much interested in your e of the Lyceum Dance Hall, but perhaps he broadened his attentions?"