house, independently of
servants' rooms.

The question is, How shall we decide?

_Happy Thought._--Toss up.

We do so. The "odd man" to toss again, and so on. I am the last odd man.
Boodels chooses the room with the stain on the floor. He says he prefers
it.

We drive back to Station. Thoughtful and sleepy journey.

Chilvern is to arrange all details as to fitting up and furnishing.
This, he says, he can do, inexpensively and artistically, in a couple of
weeks' time.

Milburd points out clearly to us that the old woman in charge evidently
doesn't want to be turned out, and so invented the ghost. We all think
it highly probable, except Boodels, who says he doesn't see why there
shouldn't be a ghost. We don't dispute it.

The next thing is to make up a party. Cazell tells us "what we ought to
do." "We ought," he says, "to form ourselves into a committee, and ask
so many people."

[Illustration: "I'LL TELL YOU WHAT YOU OUGHT TO DO."]

We meet in the evening to choose our party. Rather difficult to propose
personal friends, whom every one of us will like. We agree that we must
be outspoken, and if we don't like a guest proposed, we must say so,
and, as it were, blackball him.

Or _her_?--This remark leads to the question, Are there to be any
ladies? Boodels says decidedly, Yes.

Chilvern, putting it artistically, says, "We want a bit of colour in a
house like that."

Cazell wants to know who is to be the host. Boodels proposes me.

I accept the position; but what am I _exactly_? that's what I must
clearly understand.

Milburd explains--a sort of president of a Domestic Republic.

Very good. Then how about the ladies?

Chilvern says we must have a hostess. We all suppose, doubtfully, that
we must. I ask, Won't that interfere with our arrangements?

Boodels replies, that "we can't have any arrangements without a
hostess." He says, after some consideration, that he has got a
Grandmother who might be useful. Chilvern, deferentially, proposes an
Aunt of his own, but does not, as it were, press her upon us, on account
of some infirmities of temper. I've got a half-sister who was a widow
about the time I was born, and if she's not in India ....

On the whole we think that if Boodels would have no objection to his
grandmother coming.....

"Not in the least," says Boodels. "I think she can stand a fortnight of
it or so."

Carried nem. con. Boodels' grandmother to be lent for three weeks, and
to b