t to be done? He began to submit sketches on approval to
himself. It required an effort before he could walk into the Angel bar.
"A lemonade and bitter, please," said Mr. Hoopdriver.

He cleared his throat. "Are Mr. and Mrs. Bowlong stopping here?"

"What, a gentleman and a young lady--on bicycles?"

"Fairly young--a married couple."

"No," said the barmaid, a talkative person of ample dimensions. "There's
no married couples stopping here. But there's a Mr. and Miss BEAUMONT."
She spelt it for precision. "Sure you've got the name right, young man?"

"Quite," said Mr. Hoopdriver.

"Beaumont there is, but no one of the name of--What was the name you
gave?"

"Bowlong," said Mr. Hoopdriver.

"No, there ain't no Bowlong," said the barmaid, taking up a glasscloth
and a drying tumbler and beginning to polish the latter. "First off, I
thought you might be asking for Beaumont--the names being similar. Were
you expecting them on bicycles?"

"Yes--they said they MIGHT be in Midhurst tonight."

"P'raps they'll come presently. Beaumont's here, but no Bowlong. Sure
that Beaumont ain't the name?"

"Certain," said Mr. Hoopdriver.

"It's curious the names being so alike. I thought p'raps--"

And so they conversed at some length, Mr. Hoopdriver delighted to find
his horrible suspicion disposed of. The barmaid having listened awhile
at the staircase volunteered some particulars of the young couple
upstairs. Her modesty was much impressed by the young lady's costume, so
she intimated, and Mr. Hoopdriver whispered the badinage natural to the
occasion, at which she was coquettishly shocked. "There'll be no knowing
which is which, in a year or two," said the barmaid. "And her manner
too! She got off her machine and give it 'im to stick up against the
kerb, and in she marched. 'I and my brother,' says she, 'want to stop
here to-night. My brother doesn't mind what kind of room 'e 'as, but I
want a room with a good view, if there's one to be got,' says she. He
comes hurrying in after and looks at her. 'I've settled the rooms,' she
says, and 'e says 'damn!' just like that. I can fancy my brother letting
me boss the show like that."

"I dessay you do," said Mr. Hoopdriver, "if the truth was known."

The barmaid looked down, smiled and shook her head, put down the
tumbler, polished, and took up another that had been draining, and shook
the drops of water into her little zinc sink.

"She'll be a nice little lot to marry," said the