adly effect, and--the wicked
work was done. She had been motored over and here set down, complete
with booth, half an hour ago. They were going to look back later, just
to see how she was getting on. The ordeal was to be over and the wager
won by six o'clock, and she might have the assistance of a native in
her whimsical venture.

"Right up to the last I believe the brutes thought I would cry off,"
she said. "I very nearly did, too, when it came to it. Only I saw
Peter smiling. It is rather a hopeless position, isn't it?"

"It was. But now that you've got your native--"

"Oh!" she said. Then: "But I've got one."

"Where?"

"He's getting the milk."

"I don't believe he is. Anyway, you can discharge him and take me on.
I've been out of work for years. Besides, you've been sent. In your
advent I descry the finger of Providence."

"I wish I did. What do you mean?"

"This day," I said, "I am perforce a zealot."

"A what?"

"A zealot--a Banana zealot. You, too, shall be a zealot. We will
unite our zeal, and this day light such a candle--"

"The man's mad," she said. "Quite mad."

I explained. "You see," I said, "it's like this. Simply miles away,
somewhere south south and by south of us, there are a lot of heathen.
They're called Bananas. I don't know very much about it, but there
seems to be a sort of understanding that we should keep them in
missionaries. So every now and then the 'worker' push here get up a
fete thing and take money off people. Then they find one and send him
out. Well, there's one of these stunts on this afternoon, and I've
been let in to do something. That's why I look so pale and
interesting. The last day or two I've been desperate about it. But
now..."

"Now what?"

"If you'd let me help you to-day, we could take the show to the fete
and simply rake it in. It's a splendid way of winning your bet, too.
Oh, booth, isn't it obvious that you've been sent?"

"It certainly would be nicer than giving performances about the
village," she said musingly. "If only I knew you--"

"You don't know the fellow who isn't getting the milk," I objected.

"That's different. He'd be only a servant."

"I would be the same."

There was a pause. A rabbit loped into the road and blinked curiously
at the booth. Then he saw me and beat a hasty retreat.

"It is in a good cause," I urged. "You don't know the Bananas; they're
absurdly--er--straight."

"It's all very well f