d and closed, and a girl dressed as
a parlour-maid appeared upon the scene. She was walking slowly, and
seemed to be endeavouring to extricate something from the depths of her
mouth.

"Come in answer to the ad.?" she queried.

"That's right," said Lyveden.

"Oh." She leaned against the wall and regarded a wet forefinger. "Got
a bone in me gum," she added abstractedly.

Anthony wondered whether he was expected to offer assistance, but,
deciding to risk a breach of etiquette, assumed a look of anxiety
instead.

"How rotten!" he murmured.

The girl looked at him curiously. Then--

"'Addock, too," she said. "An' that's easy, reelly, as fish goes. But
there, I ain't got much use for any fish, 'cept salmon. Shall I say
you're 'ere?"

"Yes, please, miss. I've no appointment."

"You're the firs', any way," was the comforting reply.

She left him standing.

The inspection to which during her absence Lyveden was subjected was
only less trying than the open secrecy with which it was conducted.
Heads were thrust into the passage to be withdrawn amid a paroxysm of
giggling. Somebody was pushed into full view to retire precipitately
amid an explosion of mirth. Preceded by stifled expressions of
encouragement, a pert-looking lady's maid strolled leisurely past the
newcomer, opened the back door, closed it, and returned as haughtily as
she had gone. She was applauded ridiculously....

Anthony swore under his breath.

At last the parlour-maid reappeared, finger in mouth.

"Somethin' crool, this bone is," she vouchsafed. "Come on."

Anthony followed her gratefully upstairs and presently into a small
withdrawing room upon the first floor.

From an expensively hideous couch Mrs. Slumper regarded the fruit of
her advertisement.

She was a large vulgar-looking woman of about fifty summers.
Whosesoever the hair of her head, it was most elaborately dressed and
contained five combs. Anthony counted them. She was enclosed in a
dress which was at once highly fashionable and painfully unbecoming,
and the pearls which rose and fell upon her tremendous bosom were
almost too good to be true. From beneath the short skirt a pair of
ponderous legs terminated in all the anguish of patent-leather shoes.
Anthony bowed.

"'Oo 'ave you bin with?" said Mrs. Slumper.

"If you take me, madam, this will be my first place."

Mrs. Slumper choked with emotion.

"Firs' place!" she cried. "Want ter try yer 'and on me?" Sh