of employers are very kind in overlooking it, I believe," added Mrs Bellowes graciously. "Still, there's no need for Mr Chealey to apologise here. Do go on, Mr Chealey. You can't have told us nearly everything yet."

"There isn't much more to tell, madam," said Mr Chealey sorrowfully. "I couldn't get a job anywhere, and I couldn't think what to do or be. I tried every agency I could hear of that was finding work for soldiers, but they couldn't find any for me.'

66

There is no work," said the General shortly. And not nearly enough money either. I've tried them again and again myself. It's not their fault. Go on, Chealey."

"And at last," went on Mr Chealey, "I thought I'd try to be a house-agent. I've always had a fondness for buildings. I love buildings. I do indeed. And so many people seem to be letting houses and taking them just now that I thought a little work might perhaps come my way. I've always been a careful kind of man, and I had my little savings, and, of course, during the war one spent nothing, and then there was the gratuity, and so I thought I was justified in taking a little office in Cheltenham -a very little one-and I put in a few advertisements-as many as I could afford. And all-and all—" Mr Chealey stopped, and choked, and sat desperately silent.

66

"It's nothing-it's nothing I'm ashamed" said Mr. Chealey hurriedly, hoarse with the tears he was swallowing. "But all my money's gone, and nothing's come of it."

"Yet," said Mrs Bellowes graciously.

Mr Chealey gazed at her through his tears.

"What's that you say, Caroline," said the General, pausing in his perturbed walk.

"Yet," said Mrs Bellowes. "Mr Chealey says that nothing's come of it yet. Do go on, Mr Chealey. And is Cheltenham a good place for a house-agency? "

"I don't know that it is so especially good, madam," said Mr Chealey, forcing his strained voice to answer her conversational tone appropriately. "There are so many big houseagencies there already, you see.

I did venture to approach one or two of them, but I don't think they quite liked a new man trying to make a beginning near them. It was bound to be like that wherever one looked. There's always somebody doing already what you want to do yourself wherever you start. And what I hoped was that with Gloucestershire such a favourite county as it is, and so much work about as there seemed to be in Cheltenham, a little of it might perhaps come my way. If I could have got just one house to advertise, to make a start with !

But

beginner, and of course it was quite natural. It isn't that I don't see that. But after a bit I had to pawn my belongings, and then my clothes; and it's so difficult to keep as respectable-looking as you needs must if anybody's going to think well of you when you've only the one suit, and the nap of that raised so dreadfully on end, so to speak, that you can't get the dust out of it, however hard you try," said Mr Chealey apologetically; "and at last I thought-I thought" He faltered, and stopped again.

for people to have done to them, madam. It wasn't that I didn't see that all along. And when you asked me in here to rest with such kindness I could scarcely bring myself-I could hardly bring myself-it wasn't that I didn't see that people might dislike it, I do assure you."

"You see it much too plainly for success, Mr Chealey," said Mrs Bellowes with a smile. "It makes other people see it too, and become instantly filled with natural indignation.”

"Why should they become instantly filled with natural

"Well, at last I thought, madam," said Mr Chealey, "that I'd try going round asking people. Letters aren't much use, you see. Nobody takes much notice of letters. And quite right not to, and perfectly natural," added Mr Chealey hurriedly as the General emitted a brief remorseful groan. "But I thought if I went and put it to people-sometimes if you put a thing into people's heads they'll do it even if they haven't thought of it for themselves before, especially with the wonderful prices and rentals you can get nowadays. So I looked up some houses-though I haven't before ventured to try one as beautiful and well known as this," interpolated Mr Chealey humbly, "and I started going round asking. But it wasn't that I didn't see that it was an unpleasant kind of thing

eral strongly. "It was a most obvious thing for Chealey to do, and a very good idea.”

"I thought, sir, I feared" said Mr Chealey in faint surprise.

"And has it been any good, Mr Chealey?" said Mrs Bellowes.

Mr Chealey looked at her, trying with a smile to conceal the misery in his eyes. "Well, no, madam, not very much," he said. “I can't say it has, exactly. I think perhaps, as you suggest, that I don't do it quite rightly somehow. People do mostly seem to get a little annoyed. Not that I mean-that is-they've every reason

د,

"Reason! said the General strongly. What reason have they to get annoyed! Most unfair and unjust!"

"Very nice indeed," said Mrs Bellowes, floating gracefully on to her place at the table. "And most attractive. Every one will want to possess a deer-park with central heating, and a royal balcony upon which you can take two hotand cold baths. Priggles is the quite small staff, of course, and I suppose you are the unique, celebrated, and exHerbert." quisite little old gentleman,

The General paid no heed to these remarks. He kept his resolute gaze fixed firmly upon his wife.

"Now, Caroline," he said, "there's one thing I want you

"I thought that was the one thing it wasn't to be," murmured Mrs Bellowes.

"I am speaking seriously, Caroline," said the General, with some severity. "This business has got to be seen through. Now that the advertisement is out-and I consider that Chealey has got everything in very successfully indeed-I presume that whatever is going to happen will begin to do so very shortly, and I don't suppose it will be particularly pleasant. But whatever it is, it's got to be seen through. I have been thinking the whole matter over, and I'm going to do it without a scruple, though I suppose there are plenty of people who would say I oughtn't to lend myself to any such thing."

On the following Monday morning the first thing that was going to happen began to do so, and a shower of typewritten letters descended on the breakfast-table of King's Lodge. Every house - agent within a hundred miles wrote with anxiety to point out to General Bellowes what a frightful mistake, if only for his own sake, he was making in not employing them to let his house for him. General Bellowes surveyed these altruistic lamentations with strong distaste and equally strong approval. The agents had clearly all fallen upon the advertisement like eagles upon a carcase, and had sent post-haste to Mr Chealey of Cheltenham to find out the name of the unique, celebrated, and exquisite little old gentleman's house.

"That shows what a lift this is going to be to Chealey," said the General with stern satisfaction. "All these confounded fellows are as keen as mustard to get the letting of King's Lodge."

"Perhaps they're a little upset at the house being given to an outsider," said Mrs Bellowes with reflective grace. "King's Lodge isn't quite unknown, you see, and Mr Chealey is."

"He won't be by the time