Commissioner! Eh? All right, to-morrow then at
one at the Lawyers' Club--you can go over again the points of what you
want with the mayor. 'Bye!"

And with good humor perfectly restored, he faced me, wabbling like a
jolly jellyfish.

"'S greatest joke ever heard of in my life!" he chortled.

"Oh, I say, how did you find Jack?" I asked, for that was the thing I
had begun to think of.

His face collapsed so dashed sudden, I was afraid it would break. And
from being a peppery red, he changed to a devilish sickly yellow.

"Awful!" he said jerkily. "Something awful!" And he groaned like a jolly
horse in pain. "Went up there, you know, but--" his hands lifted and
dropped; he shook his head--"didn't seem to know me at all--was sitting
there in his pajamas examining with a magnifying glass some leaves he
had pulled at the window. Seems obsessed with some crazy patter of talk
I couldn't understand--poor fellow!" The judge sighed. "Only thing he
seemed to want me to do for him was to promise to wear his pajamas
to-night--pajamas seem to be the focus of his malady this time."

I swallowed pretty hard and looked down.

"I promised," continued the judge gloomily. "And I'll do it--oh, yes,
anything to humor him! He's to put them outside his door to-night--it's
his own whim, you know." He went on moodily: "He won't allow any
luncheon sent up; says if not too much trouble, would be grateful for
two and one-half ounces of unleavened bread and clabber--what the
devil's _clabber_?"

I had never heard of it--knew, of course, no one had!

"Well," he said with a deep breath, "we'll just have to do the best we
can. Of course, under the circumstances, it's best for him to keep his
apartment--Oh, say, would you like to go up?"

"Oh--er--think not!" I stammered. "Don't believe I--"

"You're right! You're right!" He pursed his lips: "Too pitiful a
sight--only sadden you!" He began gathering up the papers behind my arm,
though I murmured that they were not in my way at all. The cathedral
chimes in the hall had played the half hour. The judge strolled over to
the French windows that opened upon the loggia.

"I say, Lightnut, have you ever noticed the view from out here?" he
asked briskly. "Fine, you know! Nice to sit here and watch the
boats--have you your cigarettes? _Oh_, yes! Try _this_ chair! Now, if
you'll excuse me I'll be with you in--"

"Luncheon is served!" intoned a human machine.

"Ah-h!" The judge's tone evinced satisfa