Bindle most resembled he did not wait to hear, but
with great tact stepped out into the corridor, closing the door behind
him.

"Some'ow I thought things would 'appen," he murmured joyously.

A few yards from him he saw the form of a fair-haired youth,
immaculately garbed in a brilliantly hued silk kimono, with red Turkish
slippers and an eye-glass. He was gazing about him with an air of
extreme embarrassment.

"Hi! You!" he called out.

Bindle approached the young exquisite.

"There's--er--someone got into my room by mistake. She's in my bed,
too. What the devil am I to do? Awfully awkward, what!"

Bindle grinned, the young man laughed nervously. He was feeling "a
most awful rip, you know."

"Some people gets all the luck," remarked Bindle with a happy grin. "A
lady 'as just complained that she's found a man in 'er bed, bald 'ead
and black whiskers an' all, an' now 'ere are you a-sayin' as there's a
girl in yours. 'As she a bald 'ead and black whiskers, sir?"

"She's got fair hair and is rather pretty, and she's asleep. I stole
out without waking her. Now, I can't walk about in this kit all day."
He looked down at his elaborate deshabille. "I must get my clothes,
you know. How the deuce did she get there? I was only away twenty
minutes."

Bindle scratched his head.

"You're in a difficult sort of 'ole, sir. I'm afraid it's like once
when I went a-bathin', and a dog went to sleep on me trousers and
growled and snapped when I tried to get 'em away. I 'ad to go 'ome
lookin' like an 'Ighlander."

"Look here," remarked the young man. "I'll give you a sovereign to go
and fetch my things. I'll dress in a bath-room."

He was a really nice young man, one who has a mother and sisters and
remembers the circumstance.

"I'm afraid Mrs. Bindle--my wife, sir, my name's Bindle, Joseph
Bindle--wouldn't like it, sir. She's very particular, is Mrs. B. I
think yer'd better go in there," indicating the Office of Works, "an'
I'll call the chambermaid."

"Ah, that's a brainy idea," remarked the youth, brightening. "I never
thought of that."

Bindle opened the door and the youth entered.

There was a shrill scream from the pink neglige.

"It's all right, miss. This gentleman's like yerself, sort o' got
hisself mixed up. There's a lady in 'is room--ahem! in 'is bed too.
Kind o' family coach goin' on this mornin', seems to me."

The youth blushed rosily, and was just on the point of stammering
apo