man! This time you're talking of something
you know nothing about and never did know--why, I've pressed Flora a
thousand times!'--yes, sir, just what he said!"--she whirled on
Wilkes--"you heard him say it, too!"

The butler's sullen eye-droop admitted it.

"Huh!" And she tossed her head back with a nasty smile.

By Jove, she had got the judge full and square--you could see it as he
stood there looking down, his face jolly gray and drawn and his
under-lip kind of dragging through his teeth. He was a gamey old boy,
but he had had a devilish hard knock where he lived you know--Jack!

"George!"--just a deep breath, you know--then he faced me. "You will
excuse me, Lightnut? I must see to this." And he walked out, followed
by Wilkes.

Somehow, dash it, it just bowled me over to see his gray hairs humbled
in this way to the what-you-call-it--he had such a devilish few of 'em
left, too, you know! So, before I knew it, I had walked right up to the
old mountain cat and took a hand myself.

"I say, you know!" I said, screwing my monocle down on her. "Too
devilish bad you've got yourself in such a pickle--"

"_Me_ in a pickle?" she snorted. "Huh!"--and her ropy neck went up
again, but I struck first:

"You've played smash, don't you know," I went on, tightening my glass.
"Awfully sorry--just wanted to give you a hint. You know this sort of
thing's against the law--something or other criminal--malicious libel or
malfeasance or--er--felonious assault or some dashed thing of that
sort"--her eyes began to widen--"Oh, yes," I drawled, "you're in for the
very deuce of a scrape unless you keep quiet!"

"Who says so?" she tried to bridle.

"_I_ do!" I said, boring her steadily. "Witness, you know! So is
Wilkes--both of us--to whatever dashed thing it is the judge decides
you've done--_I_ don't know, you know!"--I shrugged carelessly. "But
_he_ knows--he's a lawyer--and of course he'll explain it to Wilkes and
me as witnesses. That's what witnesses are for, don't you know! Better
go to your room and await arrest quietly."

"Oh!" She kind of caught her breath, turning green and dropping her
skinny hand upon a chair-back. And I was going on explaining to her,
when I looked up and there was Jenkins.

"Pardon, sir," he said, looking at me oddly, "but there's a caller
waiting, and he was so urgent and particular, I came--"

"Card!" I suggested, extending a couple of fingers.

Jenkins looked shocked and his arms remained rigidly