ent.... You'll have your
muff with you, you see, and----Well, I leave that to you. Do what you
can."

I had a good day at the office and have never been so loth to leave. I
always felt I should get to like my work some time. I arrived home again
about six. Celia was a trifle later, and I met her on the mat as she
came in.

"Any luck?" I asked eagerly, feeling in her muff. "Dash it, Celia, there
are nothing but hands here. Do you mean to say you didn't pick up
anything at all?"

"Only information," she said, leading the way into the drawing-room.
"Hallo, what's this? A fire!"

"A small involuntary contribution from the office. I brought it home
under my hat. Well, what's the news?"

"That if we want any coal we shall have to fetch it ourselves. And we
can get it in small amounts from greengrocers. Why greengrocers, I don't
know."

"I suppose they have to have fires to force the cabbages. But what about
the striking coal-porters? If you do their job, won't they picket you or
pick-axe you or something?"

"Oh, of course, I should hate to go alone. But I shall be all right if
you come with me."

Celia's faith in me is very touching. I am not quite so confident about
myself. No doubt I could protect her easily against five or six great
brawny hulking porters ... armed with coal-hammers ... but I am
seriously doubtful whether a dozen or so, aided with a little luck,
mightn't get the better of me.

"Don't let us be rash," I said thoughtfully. "Don't let us infuriate
them."

"You aren't afraid of a striker?" asked Celia in amazement.

"Of an ordinary striker, no. In a strike of bank-clerks, or--or
chess-players, or professional skeletons, I should be a lion among the
blacklegs; but there is something about the very word coal-porter
which----You know, I really think this is a case where the British Army
might help us. We have been very good to it."

The British Army, I should explain, has been walking out with Jane
lately. When we go away for week-ends we let the British Army drop in to
supper. Luckily it neither smokes nor drinks nor takes any great
interest in books. It is a great relief, on your week-ends in the
country, to _know_ that the British Army is dropping in to supper, when
otherwise you might only have suspected it. I may say that we are rather
hoping to get a position in the Army Recruiting film on the strength of
this hospitality.

"Let the British Army go," I said. "We've been very kind to him."