o see Sir Mallaby."

"My father has been called away on important business to Walton Heath.
Cannot I act as his substitute?"

"Do you know anything about the law?"

"Do I know anything about the law!" echoed Sam, amazed. "Do I know----!
Why, I was reading my Widgery on Nisi Prius Evidence when you came in."

"Oh, were you?" said Billie, interested. "Do you always read on the
floor?"

"I told you I dropped my pen," said Sam coldly.

"And of course you couldn't read without that! Well, as a matter of
fact, this has nothing to do with Nisi--what you said."

"I have not specialised exclusively on Nisi Prius Evidence. I know the
law in all its branches."

"Then what would you do if a man insisted on playing the orchestrion
when you wanted to get to sleep?"

"The orchestrion?"

"Yes."

"The orchestrion, eh? Ah! H'm!" said Sam.

"You still haven't made it quite clear," said Billie.

"I was thinking."

"Oh, if you want to _think_!"

"Tell me the facts," said Sam.

"Well, Mr. Mortimer and my father have taken a house together in the
country...."

"I knew that."

"_What_ a memory you have!" said Billie kindly. "Well, for some reason
or other they have quarrelled, and now Mr. Mortimer is doing everything
he can to make father uncomfortable. Yesterday afternoon father wanted
to sleep, and Mr. Mortimer started this orchestrion just to annoy him."

"I think--I'm not quite sure--I think that's a tort," said Sam.

"A what?"

"Either a tort or a malfeasance."

"Why, you do know something about it after all!" cried Billie, startled
into a sort of friendliness in spite of herself. And at the words and
the sight of her quick smile Sam's professional composure reeled on its
foundations. He had half risen, with the purpose of springing up and
babbling of the passion that consumed him, when the chill reflection
came to him that this girl had once said that she considered him
ridiculous. If he let himself go, would she not continue to think him
ridiculous? He sagged back into his seat; and at that moment there came
another tap on the door which, opening, revealed the sinister face of
the holiday-making Peters.

"Good morning, Mr. Samuel," said Jno. Peters. "Good morning, Miss
Milliken. Oh!"

He vanished as abruptly as he had appeared. He perceived that what he
had taken at first glance for the stenographer was a client, and that
the junior partner was engaged on a business conference. He left behind
him a mome