ed the Griffin. "I fear I'm late!"

"Nobody has missed you at all," retorted the Pleasant-Faced Lion.

The Griffin looked hurt for a moment.

"Oh, surely, Lal," entreated the Griffin; "_surely_ some one missed me!"

"No," said the Lion firmly.

The corners of the Griffin's mouth trembled.

"Now then," said the Lion, sternly, "no emotion."

"No! no! Lal," faltered the Griffin, "but when I think of that lovely
saying, 'Everybody's Loved by Some one'----"

"There are exceptions to every rule," snapped the Lion.

"Oh," sniggered the Griffin, "then it does apply even to me, for I
myself am an exception. There is only one of me," ended the Griffin
eagerly, "only one in all London."

"Some things don't bear repeating," said the Lion.

The Griffin's weak memory came to his aid at this awkward moment:

"That must particularly apply to your last remark," simpered the
Griffin.

"You have heard somebody else say that," objected the Lion.

"True," sniggered the Griffin, "and it will not be the first time that
the remembrance of other people's sayings have passed for wit; and I
have always so longed to be a wit," sighed the Griffin. "Don't you
think, Lal, that I might one day be a wit?" inquired the Griffin
anxiously.

"No," said the Lion, "I don't; you have none of the necessary
qualifications."

Once again the Griffin's mouth trembled piteously.

"Oh, Lal," implored the Griffin, "think, only think again."

"I couldn't," answered the Lion, "some things don't bear thinking
about."

The Griffin, with two tears trembling in his eyes, clasped his
flannel-wrapped foreclaws together beseechingly and changed the nature
of his supplication:

"Very well, Lal, then perhaps as you have never seen me act, I might
arrange some theatricals and amuse the children and the company
present. Of course," simpered the Griffin, "I should play the chief
funny part myself; wouldn't it be wonderful if I played the chief funny
part myself?"

The Lion looked at the Griffin contemplatively for a second: "You will
never be funnier than you are now," remarked the Lion, "and we are not
going to have any theatricals at all, the children are going to dance."

"The very thing," agreed the Griffin. "I will lead them; I dance so
beautifully."

"No," said the Lion firmly, "if any one leads them it will be
Carry-on-Merry, but they won't want any leading at all. The best thing
you can do is to keep quite quiet and make yourself useful