her over that time. Still, we managed to do it, but she said that if
anything of the sort occurred again she would chuck up her part."

"She must be fond of the dog," said Archie, for the first time feeling a
touch of goodwill and sympathy towards the lady.

"She's crazy about, it. That's what made it so awkward when I
happened--quite inadvertently--to give it this sort of accidental shove.
Well, we spent the rest of the day trying to get her on the 'phone at
her apartment, and finally we heard that she had come here. So I took
the next train, and tried to persuade her to come back. She wouldn't
listen. And that's how matters stand."

"Pretty rotten!" said Archie, sympathetically.

"You can bet it's pretty rotten--for me. There's nobody else who can
play the part. Like a chump, I wrote the thing specially for her. It
means the play won't be produced at all, if she doesn't do it. So you're
my last hope!"

Archie, who was lighting a cigarette, nearly swallowed it.

"_I_ am?"

"I thought you might persuade her. Point out to her what a lot hangs on
her coming back. Jolly her along, YOU know the sort of thing!"

"But, my dear old friend, I tell you I don't know her!"

Mr. Benham's eyes opened behind their zareba of glass.

"Well, she knows YOU. When you came through the lobby just now she said
that you were the only real human being she had ever met."

"Well, as a matter of fact, I did take a fly out of her eye. But--"

"You did? Well, then, the whole thing's simple. All you have to do is to
ask her how her eye is, and tell her she has the most beautiful eyes you
ever saw, and coo a bit."

"But, my dear old son!" The frightful programme which his friend had
mapped out stunned Archie. "I simply can't! Anything to oblige and all
that sort of thing, but when it comes to cooing, distinctly Napoo!"

"Nonsense! It isn't hard to coo."

"You don't understand, laddie. You're not a married man. I mean to say,
whatever you say for or against marriage--personally I'm all for it and
consider it a ripe egg--the fact remains that it practically makes a
chappie a spent force as a cooer. I don't want to dish you in any way,
old bean, but I must firmly and resolutely decline to coo."

Mr. Benham rose and looked at his watch.

"I'll have to be moving," he said. "I've got to get back to New York and
report. I'll tell them that I haven't been able to do anything myself,
but that I've left the matter in good hands. I know you w