y caused
Mr. Hearty intense anguish. He felt safe, however, in asking Mr.
MacFie to supper on Sundays because Mrs. Bindle had confided to him
that Bindle was always engaged upon the Sabbath night. She did not
mention the nature of the engagement.

When Bindle entered the drawing-room, Mr. Hearty, Mr. MacFie, Mr.
Gupperduck and Mrs. Bindle were gathered round the harmonium. Mrs.
Hearty sat in her customary place upon the sofa waiting for someone to
address her that she might confide in them upon the all-absorbing
subject of her breath.

Mr. Gupperduck was seated on a chair, endeavouring to discipline his
accordion into not sounding E sharp continuously through each hymn.
The others were awaiting with keen interest the outcome of the
struggle.

"Got a pain, ain't it?" enquired Bindle, having greeted everybody, as
he stood puffing volumes of smoke from one of "Sprague's Fulham
Whiffs," a "smoke" he still affected when Lord Windover was not
present to correct his taste in tobacco.

"Well, wot's the joke?" he went on, looking from the lugubrious
countenance of Mr. MacFie to the melancholy foreboding depicted on
that of Mr. Hearty.

Turning to Mrs. Hearty, Bindle pointed his cigar at her accusingly.
"You been tellin' naughty stories, Martha," he said, "I can see it.
Look at them coves over there"; he turned his cigar towards Mr.
Gupperduck and Mr. MacFie. "Oh, Martha, Martha!" and he wagged his
head solemnly at Mrs. Hearty, who was already in a state of helpless
laughter, "ain't you jest the limit, and 'im a parson, too."

Millie Hearty entered the room at this moment and ran up to her uncle,
greeting him affectionately.

"Oh, Uncle Joe, I'm so glad you've come," she cried. "You never come
to see us now."

"Well, well, Millikins, it can't be 'elped. It's the war, you know.
That cove Llewellyn John is always wantin' me round to give 'im
advice. Then I 'ave to run over an' give Haig an 'int or two. Ain't
the Kayser jest mad when 'e 'ears I been over, because it means
another push. Why, would you believe it, sir," he turned to Mr.
MacFie, "the reason they didn't make ole 'Indenburg a prince last
birthday was because 'e 'adn't been able to land me.

"'Get me Joe Bindle, dead or alive,' said the Kayser to 'Indy, 'an'
I'll make you a prince,' an' ain't old 'Indenburg ratty." Bindle
nodded his head knowingly.

Millie laughed. "You mustn't tell such wicked fibs on Sunday, Uncle
Joe," she cried. "It's very naughty of yo