nion of his enterprise.

'People, if they come to us at all for assistance in these very delicate
and intimate affairs, will have too much to lose by talking about them.
They may not come, we can only try, but if they come they will be silent
as the grave usually is.'

'Well, it is late, and the whisky is low,' said Logan in mournful tones.
'May the morrow's reflections justify the inspiration of--the whisky.
Good night!'

'Good night,' said Merton absently.

He sat down when Logan had gone, and wrote a few notes on large sheets of
paper. He was elaborating the scheme. 'If collaboration consists in
making objections, as the French novelist said, Logan is a rare
collaborator,' Merton muttered as he turned out the pallid lamp and went
to bed.

Next morning, before dressing, he revolved the scheme. It bore the
change of light and survived the inspiration of alcohol. Logan looked in
after breakfast. He had no new objections. They proceeded to action.

II. FROM THE HIGHWAYS AND HEDGES

The first step towards Merton's scheme was taken at once. The lady
patronesses were approached. The divine Althaea instantly came in. She
had enjoyed few things more since the Duchess of Richmond's ball on the
eve of Waterloo. Miss Nicky Maxwell at first professed a desire to open
her coffers, 'only anticipating,' she said, 'an event'--which Logan
declined in any sense to anticipate. Lady Lochmaben said that they would
have a lovely time as experimental students of society. Mrs. Brown-Smith
instantly offered her own services as a Disentangler, her lord being then
absent in America studying the negro market for detergents.

'I think,' she said, 'he expects Brown-Smith's brand to make an Ethiopian
change his skin, and then means to exhibit him as an advertisement.'

'And settle the negro question by making them all white men,' said Logan,
as he gracefully declined the generous but compromising proposal of the
lady. 'Yet, after all,' thought he, 'is she not right? The prophylactic
precautions would certainly be increased, morally speaking, if the
Disentanglers were married.' But while he pigeon-holed this idea for
future reference, at the moment he could not see his way to accepting
Mrs. Brown-Smith's spirited idea. She reluctantly acquiesced in his view
of the case, but, like the other dames, promised to guarantee, if applied
to, the absolute respectability of the enterprise. The usual vows of
secrecy were mad