some difficulty in the matter of catering for Mr. Jabez Stiffson; but
he left that to the inspiration of the moment.

He looked forward to Monday as a schoolboy looks forward to the summer
holidays. He forgot to rebuke "Queenie" when she became impertinent,
he allowed Number Seven to swear with impunity, and he even forgot to
don his special's uniform and go "on duty"; in short, he forgot
everything save the all-absorbing topic of Miss Cissie Boye and Mr.
Jabez Stiffson.

On Monday, Mrs. Sedge was persuaded to take a half day off. She
announced her intention of putting some flowers on her husband's grave
in Kilburn Cemetery.

"Well," remarked Bindle, who knew that Mrs. Sedge's "Kilburn Cemetery"
was the public-bar of The Ancient Earl, "you won't want no bus fares."

"You go hon, with a nose like that," retorted Mrs. Sedge, in no way
displeased.

"Well, don't be late in the morning," grinned Bindle.

At six-thirty, Mr. Jabez Stiffson arrived with a bewildering
collection of impedimenta, ranging from a canary in a cage to a
thermos flask.

Bindle put all he could in the double-bedded room, the rest he managed
to store in the kitchen. A slight difficulty arose over the canary,
Mr. Stiffson suggested the dining-room.

"Wouldn't 'e sort o' feel lonely without seein' you when 'e opened 'is
little eyes?" questioned Bindle solicitously. "A cove I knew once 'ad
a canary which 'ad a fit through bein' lonely, and they 'ad to throw
water over 'im to bring 'im to, an' then wot d'you think, sir?"

Mr. Stiffson shook his head in mournful foreboding.

"'E come to a sparrow, 'e did really, sir."

That settled the canary, who slept with Mr. Stiffson.

It was nearly eight before Mr. Stiffson was settled, and he announced
his intention of going out to dine. At ten he was ready for bed,
having implored Bindle to see that he was up by eight as Mrs. Stiffson
would inevitably arrive at ten.

"I'm a very heavy sleeper," he announced, to Bindle's great relief.
"And my watch has stopped," he added; "some dirt must have got into
the works. If Mrs. Stiffson were to arrive before I was up----" He did
not venture to state what would be the probable consequence; but his
manner implied that Mrs. Stiffson was a being of whom he stood in
great awe.

Just as Bindle was leaving him for the night, Mr. Stiffson called him
back.

"Porter, I'm worried about Oscar." Bindle noticed that Mr. Stiffson's
hands were moving nervously.

"Are you