r half an hour," he said, "and have something to eat Now that
you've given up punishing my poor old piano we might have lunch in
peace."

"Can't possibly waste time in eating. I've far too much to do. To tell
you the truth, Major, I don't expect to sit down to a square meal until
I join the Lord-Lieutenant's luncheon party. Till then I must snatch a
crust as I can while running from one thing to another."

Dr. O'Grady mounted his bicycle and hurried off. He reached the Greggs'
house at twenty minutes past three, Mary Ellen was standing on the step
outside the door, smiling in a good-humoured way. Mrs. Gregg, who looked
hot and puzzled, was just inside the door.

"Oh, Dr. O'Grady," she said, "I'm so glad you've come. This girl won't
go away and I can't make out what she wants."

"It was Constable Moriarty bid me come," said Mary Ellen.

"It's all right," said Dr. O'Grady. "I arranged for her to be here. I'll
explain everything in one moment. Is that the only frock you own, Mary
Ellen?"

"It is not; but I have another along with it."

"I don't expect the other is much better," said Dr. O'Grady. "Just look
at that dress, will you, Mrs. Gregg?"

Mrs. Gregg looked at Mary Ellen's clothes carefully. She did not appear
to admire them much.

"There's a long tear in the skirt," she said. "It might be mended, of
course, but--and she has only one button on her blouse, and her boots are
pretty well worn out, and she's horribly dirty all over."

"In fact," said Dr. O'Grady, "you couldn't very well present her to the
Lord-Lieutenant as she is at present."

"The Lord-Lieutenant!" said Mrs. Gregg.

"Perhaps I forgot to mention," said Dr. O'Grady, "that Mary Ellen must
be presented. She's the grand niece of General John Regan."

"Are you really?" said Mrs. Gregg.

"It's what the doctor has put out about me," said Mary Ellen.

"It isn't a matter of what I've put out or haven't put out," said Dr.
O'Grady. "Mr. Billing has publicly acknowledged her as the grand niece
of the General. Didn't he, Mary Ellen?"

"He did," said Mary Ellen.

"And Mr. Billing is the greatest living authority on everything
connected with the General. So that settles it. Under those
circumstances she must, of course, be presented to the Lord-Lieutenant
when he comes down to unveil the statue."

"I wonder what Mrs. Ford will say?" said Mrs. Gregg.

"We'll talk about that afterwards. What I want to get at now is this:
Will you undertake to see