in a crisis.

"What did you say?" I asked in surprise.

"What does 'Home Rails Firm' mean?"

"Where does it say that?" I went on, still thinking at lightning speed.

"There. It said it yesterday too."

"Ah, yes." I made up my mind. "Well, _that_," I said--"I think _that_ is
something you must ask your father."

"I did ask him yesterday."

"Well, then----"

"He told me to ask Mummy."

Coward!

"You can be sure," I said firmly, "that what Mummy told you would be
right," and I returned to my paper.

"Mummy told me to wait till _you_ came."

Really, these parents! The way they shirk their responsibilities
nowadays is disgusting.

"'Home Rails Firm,'" said Margery, and settled herself to listen.

It is good that children should be encouraged to take an interest in the
affairs of the day, but I do think that a little girl might be taught by
her father (or if more convenient, mother) _which_ part of a newspaper
to read. Had Margery asked me the difference between a bunker and a
banker, had she demanded an explanation of "ultimatum" or "guillotine,"
I could have done something with it; but to let a child of six fill her
head with ideas as to the firmness or otherwise of Home Rails is hardly
nice. However, an explanation had to be given.

"Well, it's like this, Margery," I said at last. "Supposing--well, you
see, supposing--that is to say, if _I_----" and then I stopped. I had a
sort of feeling--intuition, they call it--that I was beginning in the
wrong way.

"Go on," said Margery.

"Perhaps I had better put it this way. Supposing you were to---- Well,
we'd better begin further back than that. You know what---- No, I don't
suppose you do know that. Well, if I--that is to say, when a man--you
know, it's rather difficult to explain this, Margery."

"Are you explaining it now?"

"I'm just going to begin."

"Thank you, Uncle."

I lit my pipe slowly, while I considered again how best to approach the
matter.

"'Home Rails Firm,'" said Margery. "Isn't it a _funny_ thing to say?"

It was. It was a very _silly_ thing to say. Whoever said it first might
have known what it would lead to.

"Perhaps I can explain it best like this, Margery," I said, beginning on
a new tack. "I suppose you know what 'firm' means?"

"What does it mean?"

"Ah, well, if you don't know _that_," I said, rather pleased, "perhaps I
had better explain that first. 'Firm' means that--that is to say, you
call a thing firm if it--well