re. Eyes like stars."

"Where did you meet her?" said Daphne.

"I seem to associate her with winter sports."

"Switzerland?" said my sister. "What year? Nineteen-twelve?"

I walked to the door and opened it. "If I told you," I said, "you
wouldn't believe me." Then I went out.

CHAPTER V

THE JUDGEMENT OF PARIS

"I suppose," said Daphne. "I suppose you think you're funny."

Her husband regarded his cigarette with a frown. "Not at all," he
replied. "Only there's nothing doing. That's all. My mind is made
up. This correspondence must now cease. For myself, as bread-winner
and--"

"Never did a day's work in your life," said Jonah.

"And one of the world's workers (so you're wrong, you see)--"

"Of course he's going," said I, looking up. "Only what as?"

"Why not himself?" said Jill.

"M, no," said I. "We must find something out of the common. A
mountebank's too ordinary. I want our party to be one of the features
of the ball."

"Would it be asking you too much to shut your face?" said Berry.
"Nobody spoke to you. Nobody wants to speak to you. I will go
further. Nobody--"

"Could he go as a cook, d'you think?" said Daphne. "A chef-thing, I
mean. They had cooks, of course. Or a wine-butler? They must have
had--"

"Or a birthright?" said Berry. "We know they had birthrights. And I'd
sooner be a birthright than a wine-cooler any day. Besides, Jonah
could go as a mess of pottage. There's an idea for you. Talk about
originality!"

"Originality!" said his wife contemptuously. "Studied imbecility, you
mean. Anyone can originate drivel."

"It's in the blood," said Jonah. "One of his uncles was a Master in
Lunacy."

I laid down my pen and leaned back in my chair.

"It comes to this," said I. "Whatever he goes as, he'll play the fool.
Am I right, sir?"

"Yes," said every one.

"(A voice, 'Shame')," said Berry.

"Consequently he must be given a part which he can clown without
queering the whole scene."

"Exactly," said Daphne.

"What d'you mean, talking about parts and scenes?" said Berry. "I
thought it was going to be a ball."

"So it is," said his wife. "But people are taking parties, and every
party's going to represent some tale or picture or play or a bit of it.
I've told you all this once."

"Twice," corrected her husband. "Once last night with eclat, and once
this morning with your mouth full, Jilly's told me three times, and the
others once each. T