gazing out over the surrounding country.

Instructions had been given to the drivers not to stop again till they
reached the Queen Elizabeth, and they therefore drove past the World
Turned Upside Down without stopping, much to the chagrin of the
landlord of that house, who stood at the door with a sickly smile upon
his face. Some of those who knew him shouted out that they would give
him a call on their way back, and with this he had to be content.

They reached the long-desired Queen Elizabeth at twenty minutes to
four, and were immediately ushered into a large room where a round
table and two long ones were set for dinner--and they were set in a
manner worthy of the reputation of the house.

The cloths that covered the tables and the serviettes, arranged fanwise
in the drinking glasses, were literally as white as snow, and about a
dozen knives and forks and spoons were laid for each person. Down the
centre of the table glasses of delicious yellow custard and cut-glass
dishes of glistening red and golden jelly alternated with vases of
sweet-smelling flowers.

The floor of the dining-room was covered with oilcloth--red flowers on
a pale yellow ground; the pattern was worn off in places, but it was
all very clean and shining. Whether one looked at the walls with the
old-fashioned varnished oak paper, or at the glossy piano standing
across the corner near the white-curtained window, at the shining oak
chairs or through the open casement doors that led into the shady
garden beyond, the dominating impression one received was that
everything was exquisitely clean.

The landlord announced that dinner would be served in ten minutes, and
while they were waiting some of them indulged in a drink at the
bar--just as an appetizer--whilst the others strolled in the garden or,
by the landlord's invitation, looked over the house. Amongst other
places, they glanced into the kitchen, where the landlady was
superintending the preparation of the feast, and in this place, with
its whitewashed walls and red-tiled floor, as in every other part of
the house, the same absolute cleanliness reigned supreme.

'It's a bit differint from the Royal Caff, where we got the sack, ain't
it?' remarked the Semi-drunk to Bill Bates as they made their way to
the dining-room in response to the announcement that dinner was ready.

'Not arf!' replied Bill.

Rushton, with Didlum and Grinder and his other friends, sat at the
round table near the pian