"I am sure there must be secret galleries and haunted chambers and all
sorts of dreadful places. I telephoned to Mr. Jawkins to inquire, but he
answered, 'Not as I know of, miss.' I suppose he is so fearfully
practical he wouldn't care if a real ghost met him in a remote wing."

"What a pity we didn't live in the last century when people still gave
ghosts the benefit of the doubt," said Lord Brompton, sadly. "Now we are
certain that there never were any."

"But we may still run across a skeleton in a closet," said the girl.

"Oh, yes. But who, by the way, is Mr. Jawkins?"

"Have you never heard of Mr. Jarley Jawkins, the famous country-house
agent and individual caterer?"

Lord Brompton shook his head.

"He is indeed a remarkable man," she continued. "When we decided to come
to England my father telephoned to Jawkins, who immediately sent out a
list of country-seats. We chose this and made arrangements with him to
supply us with guests at so much a head. A regular country-house
party--a duke and duchess, one or two financially embarrassed noblemen,
a disestablished bishop, a professional beauty, a poet-peer, and several
other attractions. Oh, Jawkins is wonderful. They are all coming to-day.
Won't it be fun? But it may seem rude to ask you to meet such people? I
am sorry. You will be almost the only guest not hired for the occasion.
It was very inconsiderate of me."

"That's all right," said the young lord. "Perhaps I may find an opening
here. I'm looking out for a job. Possibly you may not be aware, Miss
Windsor, that the porter's lodge, which I occupy at present, is my sole
piece of property. I will send my card to Jawkins. By the way, does he
conduct them in person?"

"Oh, yes. He comes on the first day to introduce them. Jawkins is a most
amusing man. He is enormously rich and a great _bon-vivant_. He has a
retinue of thoroughly trained servants whom he dispatches to his
customers, and everything he supplies is in the most perfect taste. He
has but one weakness: he loves a lord and is the sworn enemy of the new
_regime_. Don't you look forward with interest to the feast to-night? I
shall give you a professional beauty to take into dinner; and of course
I shall go in with the man of the highest rank. But here we are," she
said, as they reached the upper terrace in front of the house.

"What a superb dog you have, Miss Windsor. What is his name?" said Lord
Brompton, gazing with admiration at the noble crea