o move her position, when Colonel Saville took
possession of his "boy," and the two tall figures leant against the
mantelpiece talking "manny talk," as Peggy expressed it, and smoking
their cigarettes. Finally it was Peggy's own turn, and she sat perched
on Arthur's knee, gazing into the dear, handsome face which had always
been her ideal of manly beauty.

"Fancy, Arthur, just fancy, we are grown-up ladies and gentlemen! I am
twenty-one, and you are twenty-six! Doesn't it seem wonderful? You
look so handsome, dear, so big and important! I suppose you are
important, aren't you? What is your chief like? Does he appreciate
you? Does he defer sufficiently to your advice? Between ourselves, the
English Government isn't so well managed as I could wish. There is a
want of firmness in dealing with Foreign Powers which annoys me greatly.
Next time you get into a muddle at the War Office, just tell them to
apply to me, and I'll set them straight! If I could get the chance of
being Minister of War for a couple of days, I'd settle them! No shilly-
shally for me I I'd show them how the thing ought to be done!"--and
Peggy wagged her head in a fierce and defiant manner, which sent Arthur
into a peal of laughter.

"Not any more burdened by modesty than you used to be, I perceive, young
lady. I'll be pleased to pass on your message. The chief is a
conscientious fellow, and feels his responsibility so much that it will
doubtless be a relief to him to know that Peggy Saville is to the
rescue. I'll introduce you to him some time soon, when you can have an
opportunity of airing your views."

"I should like that. I suppose we shall have any amount of invitations
when we are really settled, but just at first we want to devote all our
energies to house-hunting. We are going to drive to the agent's first
thing to-morrow morning, to see what he has to offer us, and then
Mellicent arrives in the afternoon. You knew she was coming, didn't
you, and that I am going home with her at the end of a fortnight?"

Arthur chuckled softly to himself.

"Chubby in London! What delirious excitement! I must try to go about
with you sometimes, for it will be great to hear her remarks. She has
never been in town for more than a few hours at a time on a shopping
expedition, and has everything to see. Chubby has developed into a very
creditable specimen, I'd have you know, and she don't appreciate being
called Chubby no more. Consequently