e the back
of his head photographed instead of his face, and so keep his promise
to MIRANDA. It was really a brilliant idea. For there was absolutely
nothing in the view of the back of his head by which he _could_ be
identified."

"But you told me just now that he actually _was_ identified by your
photograph."

"So he was;--I was just going to explain. I was sitting in my studio
one day, touching up the photographs of the back-view of PUNYER,
when in came a detective from Scotland Yard. From his appearance, a
detective was the last thing on earth that you would have taken him to
be."

"They generally say that in the detective stories," I said,
meditatively.

"If you think I'm making this up--"

"No, no,--not at all. Go on."

"Well, he told me his business, and I at once showed him one of the
photographs, telling him under what circumstances they were taken. He
examined it carefully. 'Ah!' he said, 'if I only could prove that this
was PUNYER, I should be able to complete my case, and my advancement
would be certain. In my own mind I am convinced of it, but at present
I cannot prove it. PUNYER had a scar on his face. It was like his
devilish cunning to have only the back of his head photographed!' He
was just leaving, when suddenly a new idea seemed to flash across him.
He seized the photograph, and rushed across to the mirror. You know
that if anything is written backwards, you can read it by holding it
up to a looking-glass. So, of course, the detective, by holding up
the photograph of the back-view, saw the full-face reflected. The scar
showed just above the green veil, and consequently--"

At this point the boy returned with my change. The photographer had
locked himself into the dark room, and I could not get at him; the law
gives a man no redress under such circumstances, and so I came away.

I might have got over the story, perhaps; but my change, I found
afterwards, was sixpence short, and that is not so easy to forgive.

* * * * *

"ENTERTAINMENT."

["People of this high class (Royal Highnesses, &c.) are said
to 'entertain' visitors, but that is an inversion of the
actual fact; their object is to be entertained. And quite
right too. Nothing can surely be more delightful than to have
one's house full of friends at will, and then be able to turn
them out at a moment's notice (as a life-boat gets rid of
superfluous water) by that simple mecha