thers' Agency.' It is a good name, and gives to the undertaking
a kind of monastic flavour that I find is very taking.

"Of course I only began in a small way amongst the men and girls I knew
personally; but my business spread so rapidly that I soon started a
regular office, and issued printed rules.

"I decided that the Brothers should go to their work during the day (as
such relations do), and only be engaged for the evening to escort my
clients, as their sisters, to balls, theatres, etc. I knew that young
men in London society were supposed to let themselves out for dances; so
why not as Brothers?"

"Why not, indeed?" I murmured sympathetically.

"We do not find," she continued vivaciously, "that it leads to
matrimonial complications, as the men who seek employment as Brothers
are usually so very impecunious that they understand that marriage is
out of the question for them. I was told by my friends, by which I mean
all those who felt themselves privileged to say nasty things to me, that
we should degenerate into a matrimonial agency, but I have not found it
so. On the contrary, every man entering his name on our books, and
every girl engaging a Brother, signs a paper agreeing to pay a large
prohibitive fine should they get engaged to each other during the period
of fraternity. Any man known to be engaged is obliged to take his name
off the books _at once_, as we find _fiancees_ very prejudiced, and
several unpleasant visits were paid to me at the office. Any man
becoming engaged while fulfilling a contract is liable to instant
dismissal at the employer's pleasure, it having been found that he
almost invariably becomes remiss and inattentive in his discharge of
duties.

[Illustration: "ONE SISTER WAS SEEN AT THE THEATRE BY AN OLD MAIDEN
AUNT."]

"Of course, till the significance of the title of 'Brother' became
generally known in London society, there arose a good deal of scandal
and confusion.

"One sister was seen at the theatre by an old maiden aunt, who had never
heard of the Agency. The young lady offered as an explanation that the
man with her was 'only engaged for the time,' which so shocked the poor
old lady that she made a codicil next day to her will reciting her
niece's misbehaviour and disinheriting her."

"That kind of misunderstanding," I said, "can hardly occur any longer."

"I should think not," she retorted. "And meantime, thank goodness, the
term 'Brother' has put an end to that hackneyed