place,
what was Anthony to you?"

"One of the best," said Betty stoutly. "That's what he was."

Her husband wrinkled his nose.

"My point is that he was a man's pal. He was nice to you because he'd
been properly brought up, but..."

Mournfully he passed his cup to be refilled.

"Go on," said Betty silkily. "I wouldn't miss this for anything."

Suspiciously George regarded her.

"Well," he said defiantly, "he hadn't much use for women."

Mrs. Alison turned to her sister-in-law and nodded scornfully at her
husband.

"Our wiseacre," she said.

"All right," said the chauffeur. "Don't you believe me. He as good as
told me so the day before he left, but I suppose that doesn't count."

Gurgling with merriment, his sister rose from the table and, coming
behind the speaker, set her hands on his shoulders.

"And I suppose that's why he 'wished to leave the neighbourhood,'" she
said, laying her cheek against his. "Betty and I were too much for
him. Which reminds me, Bet, you and I ought to go to Bell Hammer and
take those books back."

Her brother screwed his head round and looked at her.

"You're not suggesting that Valerie----"

"Sent him away?" said Anne. "Heaven knows. But he's just crazy about
her, isn't he, Bet?"

The parlourmaid nodded.

"And she?" queried Alison.

"Loves him to distraction," said Anne.

"Which is why she lets him push off?" said George. "I see. And I
suppose, if they'd hated one another like poison, they'd have been
married by now. You know, this is too easy."

"Ah," said Betty, with a dazzling smile, "but then, you see, women
adore irregularity."

Her husband, who was in the act of drinking, choked with emotion.

That the household was once more without a footman was a hard fact.
Major Anthony Lyveden, D.S.O., was gone. His period of service at The
Shrubbery had come to an abrupt end upon the previous day. His notice
had not expired, but when he received an offer which was conditional
upon his immediate departure from Hawthorne, he had laid the facts
before Mr. Bumble and left two days later. All efforts to persuade him
to leave an address were unavailing. This was a pity, for, ten minutes
after he and Patch had left for the station, there had arrived for him
a letter from a firm of solicitors that numbered many distinguished
clients, and The Honourable Mr. Justice Molehill among them.

Since Anthony will never read that letter, neither will we. We will
leav