asked Blanchaille doubtfully.

"Do not think that I want you to hurt him. That is not necessary. He will
hurt himself. Keep out of his way until he has finished with himself, and
then fly back here. It is easy."

It seemed the best way; indeed the only way. Gaspard Volauvent could
never get to the rendezvous alone, and it would be fatal to his honour
if Jacques arrived there and found nobody to meet him. Reluctantly
Blanchaille agreed.

At the appointed hour Gaspard put his head cautiously out of his bedroom
window and gazed up into the heavens. He saw two aeroplanes straight
above him. At the thought that he might have been in one of them he
shuddered violently. Indeed, he felt so unwell that the need for some
slight restorative became pressing. He tripped off to the _estaminet_.

It was empty save for one table. Gaspard walked towards it, hoping for a
little conversation. The occupant lowered the newspaper from in front of
his face and looked up.

It was too much for Gaspard.

"Coward!" he shrieked.

Jacques, who had been going to say the same thing, hastily substituted
"Serpent!"

"I know you," cried Gaspard. "You send your instructor up in your place.
Poltroon!"

Jacques picked up his glass and poured the wine of the country over his
friend's head.

"Drown, serpent," he said magnificently. He beckoned to the waiter.
"Another bottle," he said. "My friend has drunk all this."

Gaspard removed the wine from his whiskers with Jacques' paper, and leant
over him.

"This must be wiped out in blood," he said slowly. "Name your weapons."

"Submarines," said Jacques after a moment's thought.

THE HANDICAP OF SEX

I found myself in the same drawing-room with Anne the other day, so I
offered her one of my favourite sandwiches. (I hadn't seen her for some
time, and there were plenty in the plate.)

"If you are coming to talk to me," she said, "I think I had better warn
you that I am a Bolshevist."

"Then you won't want a sandwich," I said gladly, and I withdrew the
plate.

"I suppose," said Anne, "that what I really want is a vote."

"Haven't you got one? Sorry; I mean, of course you haven't got one."

"But it isn't only that. I want to see the whole position of women
altered. I want to see--"

I looked round for her mother.

"Tell me," I said gently; "when did this come over you?"

"In the last few weeks," said Anne. "And I don't wonder."

I settled down with the sandwiches to listen.

An