“Oh, Jinny!” groaned Mr. Flippance: “To desert your old pal!” “And do you, Mr. Duke,” went on Jinny imperturbably, “maintain that your marionettes are a better property than the Flippance Fit-Up?” “Certainly not,” said Mr. Duke, not to be caught. “The marionettes are a worse property then?” she asked. Duke banged his book. “Much worse.” “Then why do you want it back?” Tony uttered a shriek of delight. “A Daniel come to judgment! Oh, Jinny, I could hug you!” A sweep of her horn kept him at arm’s length. “You say, Mr. Duke, that the Fit-Up property is the better, and yet you want to give it up?” Mr. Duke leaned his elbows on the desk, and dropped his head in his hands. “You confuse me—I must have time to think.” “Hamlet!” observed Tony pleasantly. “But I don’t think the ghost will walk.” His hand moved towards the gin decanter, but again that baffling horn intervened. “Look here!” said Duke, rummaging in his drawer. “I’ve got the transfer written out, ready for signature, two copies—the exact words of our last agreement, only turned the other way, of course. I’m a plain man—is it to be or not to be?” “That is the question,” said Tony sepulchrally. “But you see it isn’t so plain as you. You’ve depreciated my theatre and it’s not worth the extra pony. Why can’t you make a reasonable compromise and just swap back?” “What! And be a pony out of pocket?” “You’ll be an elephant out of pocket if you don’t,” Jinny reminded him. “Seven pounds sixteen and threepence a week mount up.” “Ah, that was a particularly bad week.” “Then there _were_ good weeks?” flashed Tony. “I tell you the best weren’t as good as the marionettes’ worst.” “Come, come, old cock, draw it mild!” “If you don’t believe me,” said Duke, firing up, “look for yourself! And what’s more, if you find I’m wrong, keep the pony and be hanged to you!” “Easy! Easy! But I was never a man to refuse a sporting offer—tip us the tomes!” Duke handed him the twin account books, but soon, tiring of the rows of figures, Mr. Flippance begged Jinny to pursue the investigation while he studied the document of transfer.