down these grey hairs in----"

"Talking of mountebanks," said I, "who's going to Fallow Hill Fair?"

"Adele ought to see it," said Daphne. "Why don't you run her over in the
car?"

"I will, if she'd like to go. It's a real bit of old England."

"I agree," said Berry. "What with the cocoa-nut shies and the steam
roundabouts, you'd think you were back in the Middle Ages. I think I'll
come, too."

"Then you go alone," said I. "I don't forget the last time you went."

"What happened?" said Adele, her eyes lighted with expectation.

Berry sighed.

"It was most unfortunate," he said. "You see, it was like this. B-behind
a b-barrier there was a b-booth with a lot of b-bottles, at which you
were b-bothered to throw b-balls. If you b-broke three b-bottles----"

"This nervous alliteration," interposed Adele, "is more than I can
b-bear."

"--you received a guerdon which you were encouraged to select from a
revolting collection of bric-a-brac which was displayed in all its glory
upon an adjacent stall. Laden with munitions, I advanced to the
rails.... Unhappily, in the excitement of the moment, I mistook my
objective.... It was a most natural error. Both were arranged in tiers,
both were pleading for destruction."

"Nonsense," said Daphne. "You did it on purpose. You know you did. I
never saw anything more deliberate in all my life."

"Not at all," replied her husband. "I was confused. A large and critical
crowd had collected to watch my prowess, and I was pardonably nervous."

"But what happened?" said Adele.

"Well," said I, "naturally nobody was expecting such a move, with the
result that the brute got off about six balls before they could stop
him. The execution among the prizes was too awful. You see, they were
only about six feet away. The owner excepted, the assembled populace
thought it was the funniest thing they'd ever seen."

"Yes," chimed in Jill. "And then he turned round and asked the man how
many bottles he'd won."

"I never was so ashamed," said Daphne. "Of course the poor man was
nearly off his head."

"And I paid for the damage," said Jonah.

I looked across at Adele.

"So, if he comes with us," I said, "you know what to expect."

My lady threw back her head and laughed.

"I suppose you're to be trusted," she said.

"Once past the pub," said Berry, "he'll be all right. But if he says he
feels faint outside the saloon-bar, don't argue with him, but come
straight home."

"At any rate,"