she had grown into an extremely pretty girl. She, it
seemed, was also taking stock of me.

"You've improved," she said. "Your moustache has broadened out. If that
monkey on a stick won't be photographed I wish you'd hunt him away out
of this. I don't know any Portuguese swears or I'd do it myself."

I explained to the interpreter that he need be under no anxiety about
the headstrong senoras. I myself would be responsible for them, and
would, if necessary, answer for their safety with my head. He departed,
doubtful and ill content. He was probably satisfied that I was capable
of looking after Laiage, but he dreaded the effect of her example on the
rest of his flock. They too might escape.

"This," said Lalage, leading me up to the other girl, who wore a pink
dress, "is Hilda. You've heard of Hilda."

Hilda's name was printed on my memory. She is one of the three members
of the committee of the A.T.R.S. I shook hands with her and asked for
Selby-Harrison.

"You haven't surely," I said, "come without Selby-Harrison, who won the
junior ex.? The committee ought to hold together."

"We intended to bring him," said Lalage, "but there were difficulties.
The Archdeacon heard about it----"

"That Archdeacon again!" I said.

"And told father that it wouldn't do at all. Did you ever hear such
nonsense? I shouldn't have minded that, but Hilda's mother struck too.
It ended in our having to bring poor old Pussy with us as chaperon."

"Pussy?"

"Yes, The original Cat, Miss Battersby. You can't have forgotten her,
surely? It happened that she was getting her holidays just as we had
arranged to start, so we took her instead of Selby-Harrison, which
satisfied the Archdeacon and Hilda's mother."

"I am so glad to hear you call her 'Pussy' now," I said-"I always hoped
you would."

"She's really not a bad sort," said Lalage, "when you get to know her.
She did us very little harm on the steamer. She was sick the whole
way out, so we just put her in the top berth of our cabin and left her
there."

"Is she there still?"

Hilda giggled. Lalage looked slightly annoyed.

"Of course not," she said. "We aren't cruel. We hauled her out this
morning and dressed her. It was rather a job but we did it. We took her
ashore with us--each holding one arm, for she was frightfully staggery
at first--and made her smuggle our cigarettes for us through the
custom-house. No one would suspect her of having cigarettes. By the way,
she has them