news. "Do you know where she is, Mrs Inglethwaite?"

"I saw her upstairs a few minutes ago," said Kitty. "Come up, and we'll
find her."

We were in the library at the time, and Kitty and Robin left the room
together. The rest of the story my wife told me later.

"We went up," she said, "and looked into the drawing-room, where I had
last seen Dilly. The room was nearly dark, but she was there, sitting
curled up in front of the fire.

"'There she is,' I said. 'Go and say something nice.'

"Well, dear,"--Kitty's face assumed an air of impressive solemnity which
makes her absurdly like her daughter--"he stood hesitating a moment, and
then walked straight up to her and said--

"'Good afternoon! Can you tell me where your sister is? I want to offer
her my good wishes on the great event.'

"It wasn't Dilly at all. It was Dolly! And he was able to distinguish
between the two in that dim room. And _I_ couldn't!"

"Oh," said I carelessly, "I expect he noticed she wasn't wearing an
engagement-ring."

My wife looked at me and sighed, as over one who would spoil a romance
for want of a ha'porth of sentiment. And yet I know she would have been
quite scandalised if any one had hinted at tender passages between her
sister and my secretary. Women are curious creatures.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

OF A PIT THAT WAS DIGGED, AND WHO FELL INTO IT.

Dicky Lever was a hearty and not particularly intellectual youth of the
What ho! type (if you know what I mean). He was employed in some
capacity in a Government office, but his livelihood was not entirely
dependent on his exertions therein--which was, perhaps, fortunate, as
his sole claim to distinction in his Department lay in the fact of his
holding the record for the highest score at small cricket in the Junior
Secretaries' room. He was a member of the Leander Club, a more than
usually capable amateur actor, and a very good fellow all round.

The engagement was announced at the end of July, which is a busy time
for this country's legislators. The session was drawing to a close, and
we were passing Bills with a prodigality and despatch which provoked
many not altogether undeserved gibes from a reptile Opposition Press
concerning the devotion of his Majesty's Government to the worship of
Saint Grouse.

One night I brought Champion home to dinner between the afternoon and
evening sittings. At the latter he was to move the second reading of his
"Municipal Co-ordination Bill," a meas