and knitting his brows over _The Times_.

Jill's hand began to shake.

"You wicked child," said I. "You knew----"

"Oh, Boy, but it's so silly. We had to leave it for you. Jonah nearly
burst himself just now, trying."

"Thing's bewitched," said Jonah calmly. "The more air you give it, the
fiercer it burns. I'd sooner try to blow out a hurricane lamp."

"Nonsense," said I, taking a deep breath.

At the end of the round--

"Yes," said Jonah. "Do you mind blowing the other way next time? It's
not my face I'm worrying about, but this is the only copy of _The Times_
in the house."

Jill was helpless with laughter, so I took the lamp away from her and
advanced to the fireplace.

"I'll fix the swine," I said savagely.

Two minutes later, with a blast that almost blew the lamp out of my
hand, the flame was extinguished in a flurry that would have done credit
to a whale. As I straightened my back--

"Well done, Boy," said Jill. "There's a letter for you from Berry. Do
see what he says. Then I'll read you Daphne's."

"Read hers first," said I. "Strange as it may seem, I entered this room
to eat."

"Right oh!" And in her fresh little voice my cousin began to read.

_JILL DARLING,_

_The sooner you all come up the better. Everything's ready and Berry's
more than I can manage alone. His shoulder was aching last night, but
when I wanted to rub him he said he was a kind of Aladdin's lamp, and
wouldn't be responsible if I did. "Supposing a genie appeared and formed
fours, or the slop-pail rotted aside, disclosing a flight of steps."
Result, to-day in Bond Street he turned suddenly to look at a passing
car, and had a seizure. He just gave a yell as if he'd been shot, and
then stood stock still with his head all on one side. Of course I was
horrified, but he said he was quite all right, and explained that it was
muscular rheumatism. I stopped a taxi and tried to make him get in, for
people were beginning to look. Do you think he would? Not a bit of it.
Stood there and said it was a judgment, and that he must stay where he
was till it had passed. "That may not be for years. They'll put railings
round me after a bit, and people will meet at me instead of the Tube.
You will be responsible for my meals, some of which you will cook on the
spot. I'll have a light lunch to-day about 1300 hours." One or two
people stopped, and I got into a taxi just as a man asked him if he was
ill. "Brother," said the fool, "my blood tests a