d
everyone applauded her idea, as they rose and gathered up their
belongings.

It was a droll procession of men with mice and a lady with a parrot that
got under way and moved in among the Japanese fans and swinging lanterns
of the next room in the suite of Burnett's friend. Five little individual
tables were laid there and on each table lay a Japanese creature of some
sort which--being opened somewhere--revealed salad within.

"Well, I never did!" exclaimed the guest; "this dinner ought to be put in
a book!"

"We'll put it in ourselves first," said Mitchell. "I never believe in
booking any attraction until it has been tried on a select few. Burnett
having selected me for one of this few, I vote we begin on the salad."

They began forthwith.

Aunt Mary suddenly stopped eating.

"Some one called," she said.

"It's the parrot," said Jack; "I heard him before."

"What does he say?" said Mitchell.

"Listen and you'll find out," said Jack.

They all listened and presently the parrot said solemnly:

"Now see what you've done!" and relapsed into silence.

"What does he mean?" Aunt Mary asked.

"He's referring to his own affairs," said Burnett; "come on--let's get
coffee now!"

They all adjourned to a tiny room lined with posters and decorated with
pipe racks, and there had ice cream in the form of bulls and bears, and
coffee of the strongest variety. And then cordials and cigarettes.

"Now, where shall we go to first?" asked Burnett when all were well lit
up. No one would have guessed that he had ever felt used up in all his
life before.

"To a roof garden," said Mitchell. "We'll go to a roof garden first, and
then we'll go to more roof gardens, and after that if the spirit moves
we'll go to yet a few roof gardens in addition. We'll show our dear aunt
what wonders can be done with roofs, and to-morrow she'll wonder what was
done with her."

"That's the bill," said Clover, "and let's go now. I can see from the
general manner of my mouse that he's dying to get out and make his way in
the wide world."

"Mine the same," said Mitchell; "by George, it worries me to see such
restless, feverish manners in what I had supposed would be a quiet
domestic companion. It presages a distracted existence. But come on."

They all rose.

"Where are we goin' now?" asked Aunt Mary.

"To a roof garden," said Jack, "and we're going to take the whole
menagerie, Aunt Mary. We're going to get put in the papers. That's the
g