very picturesque."

"We do not require a large place," said Mr. Mortimer. "We shall be quite
a small party. Bennett and myself, Wilhelmina, Bream...."

"Don't forget," said Billie, "that you have promised to invite Jane
Hubbard down there."

"Ah, yes. Wilhelmina's friend, Miss Hubbard. She is coming. That will be
all, except young Hignett himself."

"Hignett!" cried Mr. Bennett.

"Mr. Hignett!" exclaimed Billie.

There was an almost imperceptible pause before Mr. Mortimer spoke again,
and for an instant the demon of embarrassment hovered, unseen but
present, above the dinner table. Mr. Bennett looked sternly at Billie;
Billie turned a shade pinker and gazed at the tablecloth; Bream started
nervously. Even Mr. Mortimer seemed robbed for a moment of his legal
calm.

"I forgot to tell you that," he said. "Yes, one of the stipulations--to
which I personally was perfectly willing to agree--was that Eustace
Hignett was to remain on the premises during our tenancy. Such a clause
in the agreement was, I am quite aware, unusual, and, had the
circumstances been other than they were, I would have had a good deal to
say about it. But we wanted the place, and we couldn't get it except by
agreeing, so I agreed. I'm sure you will think that I acted rightly,
Bennett, considering the peculiar circumstances."

"Well," said Mr. Bennett reluctantly, "I certainly did want that
house...."

"And we couldn't have had it otherwise," said Mr. Mortimer, "so that is
all there is to it."

"Well, it need make no difference to you," said Sir Mallaby. "I am sure
you will find my nephew Eustace most unobtrusive. He may even be an
entertaining companion. I believe he has a nice singing voice. With that
and the juggling of our friend here and my sister's late husband's
orchestrion, you will have no difficulty in amusing yourselves during
the evenings. You remember the orchestrion, Sam?" said Sir Mallaby, on
whom his son's silence had been weighing rather heavily for some time.

"Yes," said Sam, and returned to the silence once more.

"The late Mr. Hignett had it put in. He was very fond of music. It's a
thing you turn on by pressing a button in the wall," continued Sir
Mallaby. "How you stop it, I don't know. When I was down there last it
never seemed to stop. You mustn't miss the orchestrion!"

"I certainly shall," said Mr. Bennett decidedly. "Music of that
description happens to be the one thing which jars unendurably on my
nerves. My