he inquiry.

"Leaves early to-morrow morning," he answered; "that is partly why I
have come up to town. I don't want to see her again before she goes."
Jim Langham rested elbows on the counter, and covered eyes with his
hands. "Have you ever," he asked, "in the course of your existence,
met with a bigger fool than me?"

"To be quite candid," said Gertie, "I don't think I have."

She fetched the cup from the back room, and brought it to him. He
sipped at the hot beverage, and appeared to recover.

"Do you mind if I smoke?" he asked courteously.

She laughed. "This is half a tobacconist's shop!"

"Quite so," remarked Jim Langham, taking a cigar from his case. "I
say," he went on confidentially, taking the movable gas jet, "do you
know anything about the Argentine?"

"Mr. Trew might tell you something about it if he were here. I don't
take any interest in horse-racing."

"It's a place in South America," he said. "I've an idea of getting out
there, and making a fresh start. But I'm in the state of mind that
prevents me from knowing how to set about it. It would be a great
kindness on your part to give me some assistance."

"I want all the money I've saved up."

He placed his hand in his waistcoat pocket and pulled out sovereigns.
Gertie, taking a newspaper, turned the pages to find the shipping
advertisements.

"'The R. M. S. P.,'" she read. "I thought that meant you had to reply
to an invitation. Oh, I see. Royal Mail Steam Packet. Here's the
address. There's a boat leaving to-morrow. Would you like to catch
that?"

"The earlier the better," he cried. "I must get away at once. Now,
who can do it all?"

A lad came for a packet of cigarettes, and, as Gertie served him, Mr.
Trew entered the doorway; his cheerful salutation caused Jim Langham to
start. Trew announced, joyously, that he was up to the neck in
trouble; for failing to see a young constable's warning in Oxford
Street, he had been suspended from duty for a period of three days.

"As I told him, if a driver took notice of all the baby hands held up,
why the 'bus would never reach Victoria. Howsomever, here I am; my own
master for a time, and ready to make myself generally useless. What
about a half-day excursion to Brighton to-morrow, little missy?"

"This, Mr. Trew, is Mr. Langham."

"I don't get on over and above first class," he said, "with a certain
relative of yours, sir, but I never met a family yet that was all
alike.