, and he is going to do it himself."

"Do what?" says the guv'nor, irritable like.

"Fourteen days," she wails. "It'll kill him."

"But the case doesn't come on till Wednesday," says the guv'nor. "How
do you know it's going to be fourteen days?"

"Miss Bulstrode," she says, "she's seen the magistrate. He says he
always gives fourteen days in cases of unprovoked assault."

"But it wasn't unprovoked," says the guv'nor. "The other man began it
by knocking off his hat. It was self-defence."

"She put that to him," she says, "and he agreed that that would alter
his view of the case. But, you see," she continues, "we can't find the
other man. He isn't likely to come forward of his own accord."

"The girl must know," says the guv'nor--"this girl he picks up in St.
James's Park, and goes dancing with. The man must have been some
friend of hers."

"But we can't find her either," she says. "He doesn't even know her
name--he can't remember it."

"You will do it, won't you?" she says.

"Do what?" says the guv'nor again.

"The fourteen days," she says.

"But I thought you said he was going to do it himself?" he says.

"But he mustn't," she says. "Miss Bulstrode is coming round to see
you. Think of it! Think of the headlines in the papers," she says.
"Think of the Fabian Society. Think of the Suffrage cause. We mustn't
let him."

"What about me?" says the guv'nor. "Doesn't anybody care for me?"

"You don't matter," she says. "Besides," she says, "with your
influence you'll be able to keep it out of the papers. If it comes out
that it was Mr. Parable, nothing on earth will be able to."

The guv'nor was almost as much excited by this time as she was.

"I'll see the Fabian Society and the Women's Vote and the Home for Lost
Cats at Battersea, and all the rest of the blessed bag of tricks--"

I'd been thinking to myself, and had just worked it out.

"What's he want to take his cook down with him for?" I says.

"To cook for him," says the guv'nor. "What d'you generally want a cook
for?"

"Rats!" I says. "Does he usually take his cook with him?"

"No," answered Miss Dorton. "Now I come to think of it, he has always
hitherto put up with Mrs. Meadows."

"You will find the lady down at Fingest," I says, "sitting opposite him
and enjoying a recherche dinner for two."

The guv'nor slaps me on the back, and lifts Miss Dorton out of her
chair.

"You get on back," he says, "and telephone to Miss Bul