kind," said Scrap. "I got them out of an
advertisement."

"An advertisement?"

"It's a good way, I find, to get friends. I'm fonder of one of
these than I've been of anybody in years."

"Really? Who is it?"

"You shall guess which of them it is when you see them. Tell me
about mother. When did you see her last? We arranged not to write to
each other unless there was something special. I wanted to have a
month that was perfectly blank."

"And now I've come and interrupted. I can't tell you how ashamed
I am--both of having done it and of not having been able to help it."

"Oh, but," said Scrap quickly, for he could not have come on a
better day, when up there waiting and watching for her was, she knew,
the enamoured Briggs, "I'm really very glad indeed to see you. Tell me
about mother."

Chapter 20

Scrap wanted to know so much about her mother that Arundel had
presently to invent. He would talk about anything she wished if only
he might be with her for a while and see her and hear her, but he knew
very little of the Droitwiches and their friends really--beyond meeting
them at those bigger functions where literature is also represented,
and amusing them at luncheons and dinners, he knew very little of them
really. To them he had always remained Mr. Arundel; no one called him
Ferdinand; and he only knew the gossip also available to the evening
papers and the frequenters of clubs. But he was, however, good at
inventing; and as soon as he had come to an end of first-hand
knowledge, in order to answer her inquires and keep her there to
himself he proceeded to invent. It was quite easy to fasten some of
the entertaining things he was constantly thinking on to other people
and pretend they were theirs. Scrap, who had that affection for her
parents which warms in absence, was athirst for news, and became more
and more interested by the news he gradually imparted.

At first it was ordinary news. He had met her mother here, and
seen her there. She looked very well; she said so and so. But
presently the things Lady Droitwich had said took on an unusual
quality: they became amusing.

"Mother said that?" Scrap interrupted, surprised.

And presently Lady Droitwich began to do amusing things as well
as say them.

"Mother did that?" Scrap inquired, wide-eyed.

Arundel warmed to his work. He fathered some of the most
entertaining ideas he had lately had on to Lady Droitwich, and also any
char