you know."

"Your brother?" I questioned, astonished, and I guess my face must have
showed it, for Billings' eyes, first opening wide, narrowed, and his
countenance began to gather an angry red. He stopped short.

"_Didn't_ he stay with you?" he snapped.

I stared blankly. "Why, Billings--I didn't know--I didn't remember you
had a brother. I never have seen him."

Billings' face swelled redder, and he struck his fist down with an oath.
He looked angrily toward the house. Then he stepped hurriedly in advance
of me.

"Excuse me, old chap, will you?" he said, his voice hardened. "Will see
you at luncheon--make yourself at home, won't you?"

CHAPTER XXXIII

UNDER THE PERGOLA

Make myself at home! I sneaked under the quiet shade in a convenient
pergola, and, dropping upon a bench, gazed gloomily at the sunlight
patches at my feet.

"Oh, _here_ you are, eh?" broke harshly upon me.

I looked up, startled from my mood. There, hands upon his hips and
scowling, stood--the chauffeur!

I frowned, but the fellow just moved nearer.

"I guess mamma's baby don't feel so spry this morning!" he jeered. "Does
its little heady-cums ache-ums--eh?"

I grunted rather wearily. "If it does, my good fellow, it's none of your
business. Don't bother me!" I shifted the other way.

"Oh, isn't it?"--his tone quickened truculently--"Well, maybe I'll make
it my business!" He jerked his arm at me, continuing sharply: "Look
here, you glass-eyed monkey-jack, don't you get _flip_ with me this
morning"--he laughed coarsely--"or I'll think you want some more! _Do_
you?"

I turned my head and, polishing my monocle carefully, gave it a tight
screw and took him in slowly, beginning with his yellow mop of hair and
ending with the toes of his soiled canvas shoes. By Jove, I was _sure_
they'd never been whitened since he bought them.

I seemed to anger him. He uttered a sort of snort with a mutter
uncomplimentary and strode forward, towering above me where I sat.

"_Answer_, when I'm talking to you, you sap-headed fool," he bellowed,
"or I'll wring your neck! I asked if you wanted some more."

I stretched my arms, trying their muscle room in a lengthy yawn, and
blinked at him with my free eye, wondering where the deuce he got the
crimson hat band. By Jove, _that_ was the most dashed impertinent thing
of all!

"More what?" I drawled indifferently.

"More--of _that_!"--viciously--and _thwack_ his knuckles struck against
the iron ba