judge hurled his little body back into the chair and furiously
pumped himself into a cloud of smoke. He glared at me expectantly, and I
knew I had to come up.

"Beastly bad form, you know!" I tried, sending a great funnel upward and
frowning after it. Fact was, I never took any interest in political
questions--dashed bore, you know. Wondered if he would spring them much
when Frances and I were--

"Um--well, I should say so!" he grunted; and my jerk sent ashes all
over me. But I saw that he was just mollified because I agreed with him.
Best system, Pugsley says, is always to agree with _everybody_ in
politics--"humor 'em gently, just like children," were his exact words;
"you know it really _don't_ matter!"

"And now, let's see," resumed the judge, brightening. "I wonder who we
_can_ get to take you!" His fingers drummed together thoughtfully. "Um,
of course, there is Francis--" my heart took a jolly leap--"but Francis
is impossible--_quite_ impossible!"

"By Jove, no!" I ejaculated eagerly, and I came up in my chair like a
galvanized what's-its-name. "Just the thing--be delighted, you know."

He smiled grimly. "Natural _you_ should say that, but--" He expectorated
with deliberation, glowering at me as he did it. "_No_, sir!" His head
shook with decision. "Wouldn't do--I wouldn't think of trusting you with
Francis," he finished shortly.

"O!" Just a gasp, you know; and my jolly cheeks stung as from a dash of
fiery what's-its-name sauce. So _he_ knew about the pajamas, too!

I half rose from my chair.

"I--I assure you, sir--" I began stiffly.

His fussy shrug checked me. "No, no, we'll just have to wait till Jack
gets up. The only thing _I'm_ anxious about is the scenery and the view
points; and I just know if Francis went with you, you would never see
any of it."

By Jove, I thought that quite likely enough, but of course it was
devilish personal of him to say so. And dash seeing the scenery and view
points, anyway--who wanted to see _them_, if they could see _her_? I was
just going to suggest this, when he went on:

"The fact is--" He hesitated, then flicked his ashes with a sigh. "Oh,
well, since I've said as much as I have, I should go further, I suppose.
It's only fair not to leave you in the dark, especially as my daughter
was enthusiastically telling me just now"--puff--"that she already looks
on you as one of the family."

"By Jove, did she though?" I hitched to the front of the chair. "How
dev--I