a person is not attached to anyone else, they are detached, I
suppose, are they not?" said One-and-Nine rather impatiently.

"Well, if you put it that way, I suppose they are," I replied,
laughing. "You mean, has she a sweetheart? Well, really I don't know.
I have an idea though that Mrs. Putchy does not allow followers."

"Then I shall considerize my prospectuousness with great hopefulosity!"
remarked the soldier with considerable dignity, walking back to the
Wallypug's chair.

"What does he say?" asked the Jubilee Rhymester. "He is a little bit
cracked, you know. Could you make out what he was driving at?"

"Oh, yes, I could understand within a little what he meant," I
replied. "He seems to have fallen in love with General Mary Jane at
first sight, from what I can gather."

"Really! Dear me! He is always doing that sort of thing, do you know,
and he generally asks me to write poems for him when he gets into that
state. I have written as many as 137 odes in one month on his behalf."

"Good gracious," I replied, "and does he pay you well for them?"

"Pay me!" exclaimed the Jubilee Rhymester, staring at me in surprise.
"Of course not. Do people ever get paid for writing poetry?"

"Why, yes, to be sure they do," I answered.

"Well, I've never heard of such a thing in all my life," said the
Jubilee Rhymester; "I always thought that poets had to pay to have
their verses used at all, and that that was why they were always so
poor while they were alive. Of course I knew that people sometimes
made a fuss about them after they were dead, but I have never heard
of such a thing as a live poet being paid for his work."

"Nonsense," I replied; "I believe that quite a lot of money is
sometimes paid by the magazines and other papers for poems and
verses."

"Well, I am delighted to hear it," said the Jubilee Rhymester, "and I
shall certainly start writing to-morrow. I have no doubt whatever that
I shall make my fortune before I go back to Zum."

Shortly after this Mrs. Putchy announced that supper was served, and
a little later my guests retired to rest, being thoroughly tired out
with their long journey. I sat up in my study a little while longer to
smoke a pipe, but was just thinking of going to bed when there was a
tap at the door and the Doctor-in-Law entered.

"I say, I thought I had better come and arrange with you about money
matters," he said; "I didn't like to mention such things before the
others. Now then," h