other was once asked down here for the week-end and stayed
for a fortnight. We----"

"My _grandfather_," said Celia coldly, "_lived_ here."

"Well, whatever it was," I said, "we must invent a proper reason. Peter,
you might pretend you've come to inspect the gas-meter or the milk or
something. Or perhaps Celia had better disguise herself as a Suffragette
and say that she's come to borrow a box of matches. Anyhow, one of us
must get to the front of the house to search for this walnut tree."

"It--it seems rather cheek," said Celia doubtfully.

"We'll toss up who goes."

We tossed, and of course I lost. I went up the drive nervously. At the
first turn I decided to be an insurance inspector, at the next a
scout-master, but, as I approached the front door, I thought of a very
simple excuse. I rang the bell under the eyes of several people at lunch
and looked about eagerly for the walnut tree.

There was none.

"Does Mr.--er--Erasmus--er--Percival live here?" I asked the footman.

"No, sir," he said--luckily.

"Ah! Was there ever a walnut--I mean _was_ there ever a Mr. Percival who
lived here? Ah! Thank you," and I sped down the drive again.

"Well?" said Celia eagerly.

"Mr. Percival _doesn't_ live there."

"Whoever's Mr. Percival?"

"Oh, I forgot; you don't know him. Friends," I added solemnly, "I regret
to tell you there is _no_ walnut tree."

"I am not surprised," said Peter.

The walk home was a silent one. For the rest of the day Celia was
thoughtful. But at the end of dinner she brightened up a little and
joined in the conversation.

"At Hilderton Hall," she said suddenly, "we always----"

"H'r'm," I said, clearing my throat loudly. "Peter, pass Celia the
walnuts."

. . . . .

I have had great fun in London this week with the walnut joke, though
Celia says she is getting tired of it. But I had a letter from Peter
to-day which ended like this:--

"By the way, I was an ass last week. I took you to Banfield in
mistake for Hilderton. I went to Hilderton yesterday and found
Hilderton Hall--a large place _with_ a walnut tree. It's a little
way out of the village, and is marked big on the next section of the
map to the one we were looking at. You might tell Celia."

True, I might....

Perhaps in a week or two I shall.

DEFINITIONS

As soon as we had joined the ladies after dinner Gerald took up a
position in front of the fire.

"Now