ye; by assuming the
name of Wurzel-Flummery he would lose something. He weighed the two against
one another, and concluded that he would gain more than he would lose. This
argument furnished a good enough motive according to his lights.

_Meriton_, on the other hand, after professing to prefer a clean heart to
filthy lucre, is persuaded by _Violet Crawshaw_, who argues that he would
surely make any sacrifice to save her from starving, and she was starving
for love. So he yields, saying, in effect, to Honour, "I love thee, dear; I
love thee much; but I love _Violet_ more." Incidentally he takes care to
overlook the fact that he was not nobly suffering an indignity for the sake
of a great cause--such, let us say, as the founding of a hospital--but that
he himself stood to gain at least as much as the girl. I am almost afraid
that _Meriton_ was a bit of a hypocrite. Certainly, in view of his exalted
standards, he came out of the business worse than _Crawshaw_ did. Perhaps,
after all, Mr. MILNE meant him to be a Tory.

But I must not exploit the pleasant field of casuistry opened up by the
author's theme, but content myself with complimenting him very heartily on
his share of this triple bill, in which, at the first attempt, he held his
own in the company of so experienced an artist as Sir JAMES BARRIE. I ought
to add that he had an excellent cast, very quick to appreciate and
reproduce the iridescent gaiety of his humour.

O.S.

* * * * *

"MOTORS & CYCLES.

Wanted to purchase a few good 1916 laying Pullets."--_South Bucks Free
Press._

Having regard to the second item in the heading a correspondent suggests
that "Pullets" is a misprint for "Pushits."

* * * * *

From a feuilleton:--

She had not wanted to come at all, for she avoided everyone now. But
Olive had begged her, with ears in her eyes."--_Daily Paper._

If _Olive_ was, as we are inclined to suppose, a flapper, she was
remarkably well equipped.

* * * * *

[Illustration: _The Padre._ OWING TO A COLD, PRIVATE STAYER WILL NOT BE
ABLE TO SING 'FROM SATURDAY NIGHT TILL MONDAY MORNING' AS INTENDED, BUT
SERGEANT STICKETT HAS KINDLY CONSENTED TO PLAY 'FOR ALL ETERNITY,' AND AS
IT WILL THEM BE GETTING! RATHER LATE WE WILL CONCLUDE WITH THE NATIONAL
ANTHEM."]

* * * * *

OUR BOOKING-OFFICE.

(_By Mr. Punch's S