off," said Berry.

"I--I feel quite nervous," said Daphne. "Let Falcon answer it."

But Jill was already at the door....

Breathlessly we awaited her return.

Nobby, apparently affected by the electricity with which the air was
charged, started to relieve his feelings by barking stormily. The
nervous outburst of reproof which greeted his eloquence was so
unexpectedly menacing that he retired precipitately beneath the table,
his small white tail clapped incontinently between his legs.

The next moment Jill tore into the room.

"It's a cook!" she cried in a tempestuous whisper. "It's a cook! She
wants to speak to Daphne. It's a trunk call. She's rung up from
Torquay."

"Torquay!" I cried aghast. "Good Heavens!"

"What did I say?" said Berry. My sister rose in some trepidation. "Two
hundred miles is nothing. Have another hunk of toast. It was only made
on Sunday, so I can recommend it."

Daphne hastened from the room, with Jill twittering at her heels, and in
some dudgeon I cut myself a slice of bread.

Berry turned his attention to the Sealyham.

"Nobby, my lad, come here."

Signifying his delight at this restoration to favour by an unusually
elaborate rotatory movement of his tail, the terrier emerged from his
cover and humbled himself at his patron's feet. The latter picked him up
and set him upon his knee.

"My lad," he said, "this is going to be a momentous day. Cooks, meet to
be bitten, are due to arrive in myriads. Be ruthless. Spare neither the
matron nor the maid. What did Mr. Henry say in 1415?--

This day is call'd the feast of Sealyham:
She that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will sit with caution when this day is named.
And shudder at the name of Sealyham.
She that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the razzle feast her neighbours,
And say, 'To-morrow is Saint Sealyham':
Then will she strip her hose and show her scars,
And say, 'These wounds I had on Nobby's day.'
Old cooks forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But she'll remember with a flood of talk
What feats you did that day."

Nobby licked his face enthusiastically.

Then came a swift rush across the hall, and Daphne and Jill pelted into
the room.

"She's coming up for an interview to-morrow," panted the latter. "Six
years in her last place, but the people are going abroad. If we engage
her, she can come on Monday. Sixty pounds a year."

Daphne was beaming.

"I must say I liked the sound of her. Very res