a little
business-talk with Mr. Gossett." He turned to the movie-magnate, who
was gradually emerging from the fruit-salad rather after the manner of
a stout Venus rising from the sea. "Can you spare me a moment of your
valuable time?"

"I'll have him arrested!"

"Don't you do it, laddie. Listen!"

"The man's mad. Throwing pies!"

Archie attached himself to his coat-button.

"Be calm, laddie. Calm and reasonable!"

For the first time Mr. Gossett seemed to become aware that what he had
been looking on as a vague annoyance was really an individual.

"Who the devil are you?"

Archie drew himself up with dignity.

"I am this gentleman's representative," he replied, indicating the
Sausage Chappie with a motion of the hand. "His jolly old personal
representative. I act for him. And on his behalf I have a pretty ripe
proposition to lay before you. Reflect, dear old bean," he proceeded
earnestly. "Are you going to let this chance slip? The opportunity of a
lifetime which will not occur again. By Jove, you ought to rise up and
embrace this bird. You ought to clasp the chappie to your bosom! He has
thrown pies at you, hasn't he? Very well. You are a movie-magnate. Your
whole fortune is founded on chappies who throw pies. You probably scour
the world for chappies who throw pies. Yet, when one comes right to you
without any fuss or trouble and demonstrates before your very eyes the
fact that he is without a peer as a pie-propeller, you get the wind up
and talk about having him arrested. Consider! (There's a bit of cherry
just behind your left ear.) Be sensible. Why let your personal feeling
stand in the way of doing yourself a bit of good? Give this chappie a
job and give it him quick, or we go elsewhere. Did you ever see Fatty
Arbuckle handle pastry with a surer touch? Has Charlie Chaplin got this
fellow's speed and control. Absolutely not. I tell you, old friend,
you're in danger of throwing away a good thing!"

He paused. The Sausage Chappie beamed.

"I've aways wanted to go into the movies," he said. "I was an actor
before the war. Just remembered."

Mr. Brewster attempted to speak. Archie waved him down.

"How many times have I got to tell you not to butt in?" he said,
severely.

Mr. Gossett's militant demeanour had become a trifle modified during
Archie's harangue. First and foremost a man of business, Mr. Gossett was
not insensible to the arguments which had been put forward. He brushed a
slice of orange fr