"Keep a grip on that lamp-post while I fetch one," said Koko, hastening away through the gloom of the autumn evening. When the cab arrived, Jim got in thankfully; and the two friends, holding Tom, who had followed Jim out of the surgery, between them, rattled off. "I suppose you’ll ask me to stay to dinner with you?" said Koko. Jim uttered a hollow laugh. "Stay if you like, but I won’t guarantee you’ll enjoy yourself." "Any girls?" inquired Koko, flirtingly. "Two," said Jim; "also a woman-man teetotal crank, and a female gorilla." Koko particularly wished to stay to dinner with Jim, for he was formulating a plan for Jim’s future. But he was not going to expound it until Jim was in a state to give it due consideration. On reaching No. 9 they found Frank lurking in the passage. When Jim removed his hat, Frank, observing his wound, was filled with curiosity. "I say, Dr Mortimer, how did you hurt your forehead?" "Somebody hurt it for me," said Jim. "Was it a fight?" inquired the youth excitedly. "Kind of one," admitted Jim. Full of the news he had gleaned, Frank burst into the drawing-room, where Mr and Mrs Maybury, Dora, and the other paying guests were awaiting the summons to dinner. "I say, pater, Dr Mortimer’s been having a fight. He’s got an awful cut over the napper." "Frank!" exclaimed Mrs Maybury, "how often must I tell you not to use such vulgar terms?" Frank grinned. "You go and have a look at it!" he added, with supreme gusto, "you never saw such a whopping cut in all your life." Mrs Maybury turned a glance on her husband which plainly said: "And what do you think of him now?" Miss Bird gave a snort of disgust, and Mr Cleave, heaving a deep sigh, buried himself anew in the advertisements of _The Total Abstainer_, he having by this time utterly exhausted all the literary portions of the paper. Jim sent Mrs Maybury a message by Mary intimating that he had brought a friend, Mr Somers, home with him, and would be greatly obliged if she would permit the said Mr Somers to remain to dinner. Mrs Maybury graciously replying that she would be "most happy," Koko and Jim (the latter with his head neatly plastered) in due course appeared in the drawing-room. Much to Mrs Maybury’s surprise, Koko, after exchanging bows with the lady of the house, walked straight across to Dora and shook hands with her. "You know Mr Somers, then, Dora?" inquired Mrs Maybury, somewhat sharply. "Yes, mamma," replied Dora; "he is a friend of Miss Cook’s." "Indeed!" said Mrs Maybury, to whom it seemed that Miss Cook had been introducing Dora to very undesirable people--for Dora had informed her that it was by Miss Cook’s agency she had become acquainted with Jim.