Wet Saturday

On a rainy July day, Mr. Princey gathers together his family, which he abhors, because his daughter, Millicent, has done something so stupid as to threaten his way of life. Mr. Princey’s pleasures are simple: He loves his house; likes to walk through the village, where his prestige is acknowledged; and enjoys reminiscing about the lost pleasures of his childhood. As he addresses his family, he mercilessly lashes at Millicent for her as yet unnamed error. If caught, he explains, she will be hanged or committed to an asylum for the criminally insane. He also insults George, his son, when he asks the young man whether his abortive career as a medical student has enabled him to tell whether Millicent’s crime can be disguised as an accident. George says that it cannot. Millicent has hit the victim several times with a croquet mallet.