if he had an immemorial right to be there.
General Wilbraham (in khaki), Mr. Justice Black, and Mr. Trevor, the
eminent publisher, kind old gentlemen, my friends and contemporaries,
came up to us and were introduced to the little boy and smiled at him
and patted his head, where the indomitable Catherine-wheel still
whirled in triumph, and all declared that it was hardly tolerable in
another to be so young, and asked him what it felt like, and said that
growing up was the great mistake.

And then a strange thing happened. The luncheon-room suddenly became a
hall filled with boys. The General and the Judge and the Publisher
dwindled and changed. The long-lost hair came back to their heads in
great untidy tufts; they put on Eton jackets and collars and grubby
hands. In fact, they were little boys again; and Master Wilbraham said
he was keeping _Cave_, and Master Black said something was a regular
chouse, and Master Trevor declared violently that somebody was a sneak
and that somebody else must have tweaks for new clothes. It lasted for
a moment, and then, as with a puff of air, it all changed back, and we
were again in the luncheon-room of the club, four time-worn veterans
and one eager little boy tightly grasping a catalogue of stamps.
R. C. L.

* * * * *

[Illustration: _Subaltern (proudly, as devastating motor-cyclist
dashes by)._ "ONE OF 'OURS.'"]

* * * * *

AT THE PLAY.

"THE SHOW SHOP."

The drama is almost the only religion I know that can expose the
mysteries of its ritual to the vulgar gaze and yet retain the devotion
of its worshippers. There is nothing a British audience so loves as to
be taken behind the scenes and shown how it is done--or not done; and
then it will attend the next play and go on adoring with the blindest
infatuation. Were it not for this astounding gift of resilience one
might deplore the prurient curiosity that wants to peep into the
hollow image of Isis and get at the machinery of the priesthood.

More human and wholesome is the satisfaction derived from the
revelation of amateur foibles, for here we are laughing at ourselves,
as in _A Pantomime Rehearsal_. In _The Show Shop_ this element was
supplied by a young plutocrat who took a small part with a travelling
company in order to be near his _fiancee_, the leading lady; and
continued in it as _jeune premier_ b