both at
the present moment."

"What is it?" asked the children in a breath.

"Suppose," said the Lion--"I only say suppose--both of you ever had a
chance of eating me, of--ahem! in short, devouring your old friend Lal,
would you do it?" asked the Lion, with an odd tremble in his voice.

The question seemed to be so odd, not to mention out of place, that
both the children laughed.

"Why, Lal," chuckled Ridgwell, "how ridiculous you are. How could
Christine or myself ever possibly eat even a little bit of you?"

"No," answered the Lion, "I believe you are both little Christian
children, and yet," he added with a sigh, "you might both become
Pagans."

"What's a Pagan?" asked Ridgwell.

Again the Lion sighed. "My child," he said, "you have a very great
deal to learn, and among the many things at present hidden from you is
the fact that both you and Christine will see me once again and once
only."

"Where?" asked the children.

"At your home in Balham."

"Good gracious," said Ridgwell, "will you knock at the hall door?"

"No," said the Pleasant-Faced Lion.

"Or appear sitting in the raspberry bushes in the garden?" ventured
Christine. "If so, you will spoil them, you know!"

"No," said the Lion, "certainly not."

"Then how will you come?" asked Ridgwell.

"You will see me again once more," asserted the Lion, "in three days
from now, and moreover inside your own home."

"Three days from now is Ridge's birthday," ventured Christine; "of
course, it would be very nice to see you, but I do wonder how you will
come, and I do wonder how we shall be able to explain you away."

The Pleasant-Faced Lion laughed his gruffest laugh.

"I don't think you could very well _explain_ me away, little Christine."

"Suppose you sat on the hearth-rug and people seemed a little distant
or awkward?" commenced Ridgwell.

"Yes," broke in Christine, "or some of those dreadful long pauses
occurred when nobody speaks and every one looks at every one else and
feels uncomfortable--would you _say_ something?"

"Yes," said the Lion. "I have plenty of tact, but really there won't
be any need," and the Pleasant-Faced Lion again chuckled softly to
himself.

"There is only one thing I want you to do," said the Pleasant-Faced
Lion, and he still seemed to be choked with merriment as if a sudden
idea had occurred to him.

"What is it, Lal?" inquired both the children.

"Upon Ridgwell's birthday night, before you both go to bed, I