Dig it all over indeed when I ought to be plucking nosegays of _Lysimachia
clethroides_ and _Pyrethrum uliginosum_ to put in my buttonhole! I prefer
to dream my dreams.

EVOE.

* * * * *

[Illustration: _Mistress_. "SO IT'S THE CHAUFFEUR THAT'S GOING TO BE THE
LUCKY MAN, MARY? I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THE BUTLER WAS THE
FAVOURED ONE."

_Cook_. "THAT WAS SO, MUM; BUT MR. WILLOUGHBY LET ME SLIP THROUGH HIS
FINGERS."]

* * * * *

THE CABMAN AND THE COIN.

"We must wait a minute or two for Sir Charles," said our hostess. "Everyone
else is here," and she beamed around the room.

The various _mauvais quart d'heure_ dialogues that this speech had
interrupted were resumed, most of them switching on to the question of
punctuality. And then a cab was heard to stop outside and after a minute or
so, presumably spent in financial transactions, the bell rang and the
knocker knocked.

"That's Sir Charles," said our hostess; "there he is;" and a few moments
later the guest we all awaited so fervently was in the room, full of