gement of the baby. When he had finished it he roused the
Major.

"I told you," he said, "that I'd had a disappointing day. I don't
think I mentioned to you that the judge's obstinacy was by no means the
worst part of it."

"Oh! So you attacked some one else besides the judge."

"I don't know whether attacking is quite the right word to use. I
called in on my way home at the gate lodge of Ballymoy House. That
fellow Callaghan lives there, you know."

"Yes. Did you urge him to lie in wait for the judge and shoot at him?"

"No; I didn't. Callaghan has nothing to do with the judge one way or
other. He has his own business to attend to. I wanted to hear from
him how Simpkins and Miss King have been getting on."

"I may as well tell you," said the Major, "that I don't at all care for
this plan of yours of setting servants to spy on people, especially on
ladies. It doesn't strike me as honourable, and I wish you'd stop it.
What did Callaghan tell you?"

"My dear Major, your scruples are perfectly ridiculous. I'm not asking
Callaghan to report to me Miss King's private conversations, or to read
her letters, or anything of that sort. I merely want to know whether
Simpkins kisses her. There's nothing objectionable about that."

"I should say that supposing Simpkins did, and she let him, which is
perfectly absurd, for Miss King isn't that sort at all, and it's
grossly insulting to talk of her in that way-- Besides, putting her
out of the question, no woman that ever lived could bear--"

"Lots of women do. It's far commoner than you think. I should say
that hardly a day passes but some woman somewhere lets--"

"Not Simpkins. He's such a horrid cad."

"When they are married she'll have to, though I daresay it will hasten
Simpkins' end if he does it too often--always supposing that she agrees
with you about him. I don't, as I've said several times. I think he's
a decent enough sort of man, though he does show an extraordinary want
of enterprise in this business."

"Any way," said the Major, "if anything of the sort happened--which is
remotely unlikely--"

"It's absolutely certain," said Meldon, "even before they're married;
repeatedly, I should say."

"If it did, there's nothing Miss King would dislike more than having it
talked about. I should say that she, or any other woman, would be
absolutely furious at the thought of her gardener creeping up behind a
tree and spying on what, if it occurs at