than to say that he agreed with both.

"It is useful then?" queried Peggy next; but this question fared no
better than the first.

"Not a bit," cried Mellicent. "It used to be, or, at least, _part_ of
it did, but now it can do nothing at all but just--"

"Be careful, dear! You will give them a clue. Oh yes, I think we can
say it is useful. Its general characteristic is usefulness, and it will
soon settle down again into its old ways."

Peggy turned to Rob with a gesture of despair, and then started afresh
on a different tack.

"Is it an article in general use? Do you find one in every house?"

"No, no!"

"In our house?"

Giggles from Mellicent, reproving glances from her father, a decided
"No!" from Mrs Asplin.

"In Rob's house?"

"N-ot at present!"

"Could you have more than one in any house at the same time?"

Flutters of consternation and alarm--mysterious chuckles of laughter.

"You _could_, but one at a time is enough for most people. Two or three
would be rather embarrassing!"

"Especially in a small house, because where should we sit in the
evening? There would be no room for us!" said Mellicent meaningly, at
which mysterious reply the listeners grew more mystified than ever.

"It must be _very_ large!" they murmured thoughtfully. "What can it be?
We shall never guess, so we might as well give it up at once and let
you tell us. What _is_ the wretched thing?"

"It's not wretched at all! It is very, very happy! It is--take hold of
your chair, Peg, and hold tight! It is--_An Engaged Couple_!"

"A _wh-wh-what_?" Peggy let her muscles slacken and leant back, limp
and shapeless, against the cushions, while Rob, in his turn, gave a
whistle of amazement.

"An engaged couple! Oh, I say! Has that deep old Rex stolen a march on
us behind our backs, and brought his _fiancee_?"

"No, indeed! Nothing of the sort! Rex has no sweetheart except his old
mother. I'd be delighted if he had--that's to say, if he could find a
girl worthy of him, but I've never seen her yet. Guess again, dears!
You are very hot, but it's not Rex."

"Rosalind!" was Peggy's first thought; but no, it could not be Rosalind.
That, of course, was impossible, while Oswald was already a married
man, and Mellicent obviously out of the question. Who could it be?
Peggy mentally summoned before her every member of the old merry party,
and hazarded yet another suggestion.

"Not Fraulein? Good old Fraulein, come back f