Good-bye, Felicia, good-bye, I'm awfully disappointed, I Am now, in fact, about to die, Felicia, Felicia, Felicia! [_Shoots himself._ CURTAIN. . . . . . That is how I see it. But no doubt Bobby and Short, when they really get to work, will make something better of it. It is an engaging theme, but, of course, the title wants to be spelt properly. AMONG THE ANIMALS Jeremy was looking at a card which his wife had just passed across the table to him. "'Lady Bendish. At Home,'" he read. "'Pets.' Is this for us?" "Of course," said Mrs. Jeremy. "Then I think 'Pets' is rather familiar. 'Mr. and Mrs. J. P. Smith' would have been more correct." "Don't be silly, Jeremy. It means it's a Pet party. You have to bring some sort of pet with you, and there are prizes for the prettiest, and the most intelligent, and the most companionable, and so on." She looked at the fox-terrier curled up in front of the fire-place. "We could take Rags, of course." "Or Baby," said Jeremy. "We'll enter her in the Fat Class." But when the day arrived Jeremy had another idea. He came in from the garden with an important look on his face, and joined his wife in the hall. "Come on," he said. "Let's start." "But where's Rags?" "Rags isn't coming. I'm taking Hereward instead." He opened his cigarette-case and disclosed a small green animal. "Hereward," he said. "Why, Jeremy," cried his wife, "it's--why, it's blight from the rose-tree!" "It isn't just blight, dear; it's one particular blight. A blight. Hereward, the Last of the Blights." He wandered round the hall. "Where's the lead?" he asked. "Jeremy, don't be absurd." "My dear, I must have something to lead him up for his prize on. During the parade he can sit on my shoulder informally, but when we come to the prize-giving, 'Mr. J. P. Smith's blight, Hereward,' must be led on properly." He pulled open a drawer. "Oh, here we are. I'd better take the chain; he might bite through the leather one." They arrived a little late, to find a lawn full of people and animals; and one glance was sufficient to tell Jeremy that in some of the classes at least his pet would have many dangerous rivals. "If there's a prize for the biggest," he said to his wife, "my blight has practically lost it already. Adams has brought a cart-horse. Hullo, Adams," he went on, "how are you? Don't come too close or Hereward may do your animal a mischief." "Who's Hereward?" Jeremy opened his cigarette-case. "Hereward," he said. "Not the woodbine; that's quite wild. The blight. He's much more domesticated, but there are moments when he gets out of hand and becomes unmanageable. He gave me the slip coming here, and I had to chase him through the churchyard; that's why we're late." "Does he take meals with the family?" asked Adams with a grin.