Excerpt of Conversation - on "the Viscountess"

...so I told the Viscountess that these sorts of things happen all the time.

Why, not two years ago I was witness to an unfortunate, though slightly intriguing case in the court of the Fon of Batibo in which a slightly misguided potter died of a brain aneurysm brought on by a nasty apoplectic fit following the discovery that his young and quite lovely wife had voluntarily become the latest - and most celebrated member of said Fon's sizeable harem. Today's case is slightly more unusual in that the gentleman in question had only as an explanation a simple disagreement with the Viscountess about the position of the celebratory banner hanging on the street just outside his store -

"Milady's annual birthday celebration might bring more patronage to the local merchants if Milady's banner were perhaps not so prominently obscuring our shops' signs..."

It may perhaps have been more prudent of the Viscountess to hold her tongue, rather than offer her curt suggestion as to where she might rather position the aforementioned banner. I advised, given the current circumstances, that we retire to the parlor for a spot of tea to calm Milady's nerves and all of our stomachs...