A gleam of intuition flashed across me, 'You don't mean to say,' I exclaimed, 'that you're called Georgina?' The Cantankerous Old Lady gripped my arm hard. 'What an unusually intelligent girl!' she broke in. 'How on earth did you guess? It _is_ Georgina.' 'Fellow-feeling,' I answered. 'So is mine, Georgina Lois. But as I quite agree with you as to the atrocity of such conduct, I have suppressed the Georgina. It ought to be made penal to send innocent girls into the world so burdened.' 'My opinion to a T! You are really an exceptionally sensible young woman. There's my name and address; I start on Monday.' I glanced at her card. The very copperplate was noisy. 'Lady Georgina Fawley, 49 Fortescue Crescent, W.' It had taken us twenty minutes to arrange our protocols. As I walked off, well pleased, Lady Georgina's friend ran after me quickly. 'You must take care,' she said, in a warning voice. 'You've caught a Tartar.' 'So I suspect,' I answered. 'But a week in Tartary will be at least an experience.' 'She has an awful temper.' 'That's nothing. So have I. Appalling, I assure you. And if it comes to blows, I'm bigger and younger and stronger than she is.' 'Well, I wish you well out of it.' 'Thank you. It is kind of you to give me this warning. But I think I can take care of myself. I come, you see, of a military family.' I nodded my thanks, and strolled back to Elsie's. Dear little Elsie was in transports of surprise when I related my adventure. 'Will you really go? And what will you do, my dear, when you get there?' 'I haven't a notion,' I answered; 'that's where the fun comes in. But, anyhow, I shall have got there.' 'Oh, Brownie, you might starve!' 'And I might starve in London. In either place, I have only two hands and one head to help me.' 'But, then, here you are among friends. You might stop with me for ever.' I kissed her fluffy forehead. 'You good, generous little Elsie,' I cried; 'I won't stop here one moment after I have finished the painting and papering. I came here to help you. I couldn't go on eating your hard-earned bread and doing nothing. I know how sweet you are; but the last thing I want is to add to your burdens. Now let us roll up our sleeves again and hurry on with the dado.' 'But, Brownie, you'll want to be getting your own things ready. Remember, you're off to Germany on Monday.' I shrugged my shoulders. 'Tis a foreign trick I picked up in Switzerland. 'What have I got to get ready?' I asked. 'I can't go out and buy a complete summer outfit in Bond Street for twopence. Now, don't look at me like that: be practical, Elsie, and let me help you paint the dado.' For unless I helped her, poor Elsie could never have finished it herself. I cut out half her clothes for her; her own ideas were almost entirely limited to differential calculus. And cutting out a blouse by differential calculus is weary, uphill work for a high-school teacher.