great number lately."

"Have you?" she said slowly.

"Yes, indeed, madam. Only this morning we received an order for
fourteen from Madagascar." I turned to another patrician. "Here again
is a first-class bath. 'The Nobleman.' A great feature is the glass
screen. The enamel, too, is of the very best quality. Nickelplated
fittings, stream line body, detachable whee--er--that is, the waste
also is constructed on a most ingenious principle: we call it the
'Want-Not' pattern."

"Ah," she said quietly. "And what's the price of this--er--paragon?"

I glanced at the ticket, knitting my brows.

"Well, it's listed at 'AWK/-', but to you, madam, the price is--"

I looked at her, smiling.

"Yes?" she said, with her grey eyes on mine. Her eyebrows were raised
a little, and the soft lips had taken on the curve that tells of
laughter hardly controlled.

"Another look like that," said I, "and I'll give it you and pay the
carriage."

She broke into a long ripple of delight. Then she took her seat upon
'The Nobleman's' broad edge and regarded me mischievously.

"I think you ought to apologize," she said severely.

"Who took me for a salesman?" said I.

"I never did that. You see, I've been looking at basins over
there"--she pointed in the direction of the iron doors--"and they said
if I came through here, I should find one of the partners. Besides, I
wasn't a bit sure when I first spoke, but, as you had no hat--And then
you led me on. Still, I beg your pardon."

"Not at all. The partner's a very nice chap. And the mischief is
reparable. I mean--"

"Where is the partner?"

"At the present moment I believe he's engaged in trying to efface the
Indian Empire. Bit of a Socialist, you know," I added. "May I smoke?"

"What d'you mean?"

"Doesn't she know the word? Smoke, my dear. Draw into and expel from
the mouth the fumes of burning tobac--"

"Idiot! About the Little Englander."

I explained.

"And now," I said, with a wave of my cigarette, "behold me once more at
your service. The gentle art of bathing, madam, is of considerable
antiquity. In classical times the bath played a very prominent part in
the everyday existence of the cleanly nut. Then came a dead period in
the history of personal irrigation. Recently, however, the bath-rate
has once more gone up, immersion is again in vogue, and to-day in the
best circles scarcely a month passes without--

"And these"--she swept the nobility w