rung upon his father by a Moenad who has dragged off her
head-gear--so as not to scratch--and flung it on the sofa. And a tide of
released black hair has burst loose about him. And--oh dear!--_how_ that
garden of auld lang syne has vanished!

It behoves a Baronet and a J.P., however, to bring all this excitement
down to the level of mature consideration. "Well--well--well--well!"
says he. "Now let's have it all over again. Begin _at_ the beginning.
You and your brother were walking up Pratchet's Lane. What were you
doing in Pratchet's Lane?"

"Walking up it. You _can_ only walk up it or down it. Very well. We were
just by the big holly-tree ..."

"Which big holly-tree? One--thing--at--a time!"

"Don't interrupt! There is only one big holly-tree. Now you know! Well!
Ply ran on in front because he caught sight of Miss Scatcherd ..."

"Easy--easy--easy! Where was Miss Scatcherd?"

"In front, of course! Ply dotes on Miss Scatcherd, although she's
forty-seven."

"I don't know about the 'of course,'" says Adrian, leaning on his
father's arm-chair. "Because I _don't_ dote on Miss Scatcherd. Miss
Scatcherd might have been coming up behind. In which case, if I had been
Ply, I should have run on in front."

"Don't be spiteful! However, I know she's bony. Well--am I to get on
with my story, or not?... Very good! Where did I leave off? Oh--at Miss
Scatcherd! Now, papa dear, be good, and don't be solemn."

"Well--fire away!"

"Indeed, it really happened just as I told you: as we were going to the
Rectory, Ply ran on in front, and I went on to rescue Miss Scatcherd,
because she doesn't like being knocked down by a dog, however
affectionate. And it was just then that I heard Adrian speak...."

"Did I speak?"

"Perhaps I ought to say gasp. I heard Adrian gasp. And when I turned
round to see why, he was rubbing his eyes. Because he had _seen_ Miss
Scatcherd."

"How did you know?" The interest of this has made Sir Hamilton lapse his
disciplines for the moment. He takes advantage of a pause, due to his
son and daughter beginning to answer both at once, and each stopping for
the other, to say:--"This would be the second time--the second time!
Something might come of this."

"You go on!" says Irene, nodding to her brother. "Say what you said."

Adrian accepts the prolocutorship. "To the best of my recollection I
said:--'Stop Ply knocking Miss Scatcherd down again!' Because he did it
before, you know.... Oh yes, entirely f