e given in two
syllables--Simpkins."

"If you really believe all that," said the Major, "and--"

"I do," said Meldon.

"Then you're going to commit a horrible crime, and I insist on your
stopping at once."

"I can't stop it now. I've set the thing going, and it can't be
stopped. You might have stopped it yesterday, but you're too late now.
I'm sorry for poor Simpkins myself. I thought him a decent enough sort
of man."

"He's a cad."

"There you are again. In one breath you try to stop me, and in the
very next breath you urge me strongly to go on. Which do you mean?
Not that it matters, for the thing is as good as done now. Still you
ought to try and cultivate the habit of definitely making up your mind,
and then sticking to it. You said yesterday distinctly, and so far I
could judge sincerely, that you wished Simpkins was dead. Now you
pretend that it's a shock to you to hear that he's going to be killed.
That's what I call vacillation, and you ought to be ashamed of it."

Major Kent sighed heavily.

"There's no use my talking," he said, "but you'll get yourself into
trouble some day with these jokes of yours."

"Major," said Meldon, "I've absolutely no patience with you. You're
back again at that joke theory of yours, after I've spent half the
evening explaining to you that this isn't a joking matter at all. I
must decline to discuss the matter any further. We'll talk of
something else. I was speaking to O'Donoghue to-day about the proper
way of feeding the child when it has whoping-cough. He says it ought
to be given as much as it wants to eat of any ordinary kind of food.
I'm inclined to agree with him. Now what is your opinion?"

"I suppose you're thinking of your own child?"

"Yes, I am. And don't forget that she's not merely my child. She's
also your god-child."

"Well, I gave her a silver mug. Didn't I?"

"You did. A capital mug, large and heavy. She'll be very grateful to
you for that mug some day; though, up to the present, all she has done
to it is to dint its side one day by dropping it against the corner of
the fender when it was given her to play with. You did your duty in
the matter of a mug, and I'm not suggesting for a moment that you
should give her another. When I reminded you that you are her
god-father, I merely wanted to suggest that you ought to take some
little interest in her health and education."

"But I don't know what babies ought to eat."

"What you