ith the air
of people who had very little to do with their time. In a voice that was
heard all over the shop, perhaps because everybody was intently
listening, he asked for a pound of honey and a packet of quail seed.

"More quail seed!" said Miss Fritten. "Those quails must be voracious,
or else it isn't quail seed at all."

"I believe it's opium, and the bearded man is a detective," said Mrs.
Greyes brilliantly.

"I don't," said Laura Lipping; "I'm sure it's something to do with the
Portuguese Throne."

"More likely to be a Persian intrigue on behalf of the ex-Shah," said
Miss Fritten; "the bearded man belongs to the Government Party. The
quail-seed is a countersign, of course; Persia is almost next door to
Palestine, and quails come into the Old Testament, you know."

"Only as a miracle," said her well-informed younger sister; "I've thought
all along it was part of a love intrigue."

The boy who had so much interest and speculation centred on him was on
the point of departing with his purchases when he was waylaid by Jimmy,
the nephew-apprentice, who, from his post at the cheese and bacon
counter, commanded a good view of the street.

"We have some very fine Jaffa oranges," he said hurriedly, pointing to a
corner where they were stored, behind a high rampart of biscuit tins.
There was evidently more in the remark than met the ear. The boy flew at
the oranges with the enthusiasm of a ferret finding a rabbit family at
home after a long day of fruitless subterranean research. Almost at the
same moment the bearded stranger stalked into the shop, and flung an
order for a pound of dates and a tin of the best Smyrna halva across the
counter. The most adventurous housewife in the locality had never heard
of halva, but Mr. Scarrick was apparently able to produce the best Smyrna
variety of it without a moment's hesitation.

"We might be living in the Arabian Nights," said Miss Fritten, excitedly.

"Hush! Listen," beseeched Mrs. Greyes.

"Has the dark-faced boy, of whom I spoke yesterday, been here to-day?"
asked the stranger.

"We've had rather more people than usual in the shop to-day," said Mr.
Scarrick, "but I can't recall a boy such as you describe."

Mrs. Greyes and Miss Fritten looked round triumphantly at their friends.
It was, of course, deplorable that any one should treat the truth as an
article temporarily and excusably out of stock, but they felt gratified
that the vivid accounts they had given