you are here," he
urged pleasantly; "you must just go ahead and do the thing you _want_ to
do."

By Jove, there seemed little opportunity for it!

"Thanks awfully," I murmured feebly.

The judge proceeded genially: "Of course we all understand that you just
came up to Wolhurst to please Jack." Then his face clouded. "H'm! Sorry
to learn that he came home with another--" his eyes rolled through a
circle--"er--is not feeling just fit. It's too bad, for I wanted some
one to take you over the neighborhood--interesting landmarks, you know,
reminiscent of Major Andre and Washington Irving."

"Charmed, I'm sure," I chirped up. Jolly lie, though, for I wasn't
impressed; didn't know _who_ the other fellow was, but I had _seen_
Irving in London--scores of times. Not a patch on John Drew to _my_
thinking!

The judge was murmuring something apologetic:

"So I can't go with you, myself, you see--but I know you will
understand. Just so infernally tied up with preparation of rebuttal in
suit the attorney-general is bringing against one of my
corporations--most unreasonable thing you ever heard of!" The judge
crossed his legs with a fling of impatience and pulled savagely at his
cigar. "By George, Lightnut, we are getting to a pass with politics
where party organization is going to the dogs--don't you think so, eh?"

"Oh, dash it, yes--rotten, you know!" I worked off indignantly--her
father, don't you see! Sat wondering when I would get to see her--by
Jove, they would _have_ to let me see her at luncheon! I just caught
back in time to get the end of a sentence:

"Utter defiance of personal obligations!" His hands spread eloquently.
"Tell me what is the use of electing men to office, when they
time-servingly yield before the clamor of the cursed populistic and
revolutionary spirit of the times?" He was leaning toward me now, his
jolly face swelling with indignation, his fist beating upon his knee.
"What has become, Mr. Lightnut," he pounded, "of the time-honored
sanctity of the 'gentleman's agreement'--eh? Where now the _pact
conventa_?"

"Where?" I shrugged, and I let it go at that, pretending to be busied
with a match; for dash me if _I_ knew! Never had seen it even--in fact,
didn't care a jolly hang if I never did, don't you know.

He went on hammering: "Here I've got to go and stultify myself, arguing
against my own decision when I was on the bench!" He snorted. "It's
perfectly abominable, sir--outrageous!"

And the