"He's going to be a darling," said Jill. "I'm sure of it." Before we left for the theatre, I telephoned home and spoke to the butler. "Is that you, Falcon?" "It is, sir." "Any dogs come for me?" "Only one, sir." "Is he all right?" "Seems a little unsettled, sir, and--er--suspicious. He was rather short with Fitch sir, when he come in, but he had his leggin's on, sir, so there's no 'arm done. He's all right with me, sir." I thought of the Dukedoms' cook and moistened my lips. "See that he has a run on the lead before you go to bed," I said as nonchalantly as possible, "and then put him upstairs on my bed." "Very good, sir." I returned to the lounge. "Has the little bit of Heaven arrived?" said Berry I nodded. "Casualties?" "Nil," said I. "Everything in the garden is lovely." "No doubt," said Berry. "And the servants' hall? I suppose that's a shambles." "Don't be silly," said I. "He's as good as gold." "There you are," said Jill staunchly. "Cupboard love," said Berry. "You wait till we come in. I shouldn't be surprised if he concentrated on me. They always aim high. It will be your duty," he added, turning to Daphne, "to suck the wound. That is a wife's privilege." "The best thing," said Jonah, "is to hold a cigarette-end to the place." "I beg your pardon," said Berry. "Well, an iron takes such a time to heat." In a voice shaken with emotion my brother-in-law stated that he should regard any such treatment as a treacherous and aggravated assault upon his person. "Don't let there be any mistake about it," he concluded. "I'm not going to have any amateur life-savers burning holes in my body in the hope of being recommended by the Coroner's Jury. If I've got to die, I'll just go mad in the ordinary way, thank you. I wonder who I shall bite first," he added pleasantly. "Don't you worry," said I. "Think what hydrophobia means." "What does it mean?"--suspiciously. "A horror of water," said I. "You must have had it for years." * * * * * We left the theatre about eleven o'clock. We had just come in, and I was disrobing in the hall--Berry was speaking to the chauffeur--when an exclamation from Jill, who was on the point of following Daphne and Jonah into the library, made me look round. On the top step of the first flight of stairs stood a little white dog, regarding us squarely. He might have been painted by Maud Earl. His ears were pricked, his little forefeet placed close together, his tail was upright. A gas officer would have said that he was "in the alert position." "Hello, Nobby," said I. "How goes it?" At the sound of his name the terrier put his small head on one side with an air of curiosity as evident as it was attractive. "What a darling!" cried Jill. As she spoke I heard a latch-key inserted, and the next moment Berry pushed open the door.