"'Well, now,' he concluded, 'I think that is the last of them, and the best thing we can do is to go home. It would be a pity to spoil the afternoon by looking at any of the lesser lights.' "I hesitated. 'Don't you think,' I suggested, 'it would be nice just to look at the Sargents before we go?' "For some moments Papa was speechless. "'The Sargents!' he exclaimed at length. 'Well, of all the----Here I devote a solid half-hour to teaching you something about Art and your mind is woolgathering the whole time. What on earth were you thinking about?' "'I was thinking about the years that are gone,' I said. "'The years that are gone?' "'Yes, and I'm afraid it's entirely my fault, because I brought it.' "Papa gasped. "'What on earth is the child talking about?' "'The catalogue,' I said; 'it's some other year's.'" At this moment the fallen Art critic entered the conservatory. "Is that you, Felicity?" he exclaimed. "You're cutting a dance with your own father. I never heard of such a thing." She sprang up. "Oh, Papa!" she cried, "I _am_ sorry." She slipped her arm through his, and as they moved away together I heard her say, with what seemed unnecessary distinctness, "We were talking Art, you know, and that's so dreadfully absorbing." * * * * * Commercial Candour. "It is a matter of surprise in more than one well-appointed household that the best efforts of a skillful chef can produce nothing more acceptable than ----'s Tomato Soup.."--_Advt._ * * * * * From a review of a book by Mr. Harold Russell:-- "The horrible chigoes, or 'jiggers,' are of the flea family, and with them we must leave Mr. Russell."--_Yorkshire Post._ Is this kind? * * * * * "The three greatest pets in the Darwin district are said to be the white ant--which sometimes grows to the size of a bee--the marsh fly, and the great Darwin mosquito." _Adelaide Register._ Our white ant "Fifi" has just bitten through her collar and run away. If found wandering, please return. * * * * * SITTING TIGHT. [Illustration: American Eagle. "OF COURSE I'M IN A VERY STRONG POSITION AND QUITE COMFORTABLE. ALL THE SAME, I HOPE THEY'LL HURRY UP WITH THE MEDIATION."] * * * * * [Illustration: Forced into retirement (happily only temporary) by his introduction of the taxi-cab, our devoted follower of yesterday; again takes the field.] * * * * * NOVELIST AND MILLIONAIRE.