to Brighton on Saturday to marry one more. Because he
wants to get his picture, as the peer convicted of trigamy, on the
back page of the '_Daily Mail_,' with the fourth wife inset. So you
see what has happened. It was my fault, but that's how I come to be
in the pariah class. Can you bear me any longer?"

"Yes," said Luke, "you're not heavy."

And then the sad-eyed waiter came in without knocking, and they broke
away.

"I beg pardon," said the waiter. "Perhaps I interrupt a little. I come
to say the chops is ready. Shall I put the two places close together?"

"Very close together," said Luke.

6

They entered the dining-room.

"You needn't remain," said Luke to the waiter. "We'll help ourselves."

"Ver' good," said the waiter. "I understand. I am since three years of
experience in the week-end business. I come when you ring--not
before."

Luke and Jona talked together earnestly for an hour. Then they
remembered they had been intending to dine. Luke removed the cover
from the dish and looked at two large melancholy chops, frozen hard.

"Can we?" said Luke.

"Not in this life," said Jona. "Get it removed."

Luke produced a visiting-card, and wrote on the back of it: "A Present
for a Good Dog. From Jona and Lukie!" He put the card in the dish and
replaced the cover. Then he investigated the wine list, rang the bell,
and ordered champagne and dry biscuits to be put in the drawing-room.

(The reader is requested to look out. Once more the numbers of the
section will be used as a part of the sections. The price of paper is
still very high.)

"Just imagine," said Luke. "Only this morning I was convinced that
life was hell. Absolute hell."

"And now?" asked Jona, shyly.

"Now I know that it's

7,"

he said, and kissed her.

Luke walked back. It was some time in the small hours that he entered
his house burglariously by forcing open the window of a room that had
once been called a den.

As he sat at breakfast the next morning, Dot said: "Hope they gave you
a good dinner at the 'Crown' last night."

"I don't know," he said. "I don't really remember what we

8."

"All love and honey, what?" suggested Dot.

"Dot," said Luke, "don't be asi--

9."

"Oh, that's all right," said Dot "You don't need to pay any at--

10

tion to my chaff."

EPILOGUE

Luke sold Jawbones for a much higher price than he had expected.

"You see," the agent explained, "the place is in such a perf