"There is very little to tell," he replied sorrowfully, "but it is tragic enough. All my life I have been fond of sugar. Before the war I took always nine lumps to a cup of tea. (It was my turn to raise my hat.) By a severe course of self-repression I have reduced it to seven, but I cannot get below that. I have given up the attempt. There are a hundred cures for the drink habit; there is not one for the sugar habit. As I cannot repress the desire, I have had to put all my energy into getting hold of sugar. I noticed some time ago that at these restaurants they give the sugar allowance to all customers who ask for tea or coffee, although perhaps twenty per cent. of them do not take sugar at all. It is these people who supply me with the extra sugar I need. In your case it was an honest mistake. I always wait to see if people are proposing to use their sugar before I appropriate it." "But if you only take from the willing," I inquired, "why do you not ask their permission?" "I suppose I have given you the right to ask me that question," he replied with much dignity, "but it is painful to me to have to answer it. I have not yet sunk so low that I have to beg people for their cast-off sugar. I may come to it in the end, perhaps. At present the 'earnest gaze' trick is generally sufficient, or, where it fails, a kick on the shin. But I hate cruelty." "Physical cruelty," I suggested. "No, any kind of cruelty. I have said that in your case I made a mistake. If I could repair it I would." "Well," I said, "here's something you can do towards it, although it's little enough." And I handed him the ticket the waitress had written out for me. "And now I'll go and get a cup of tea somewhere." "One moment," he said, as I rose to go. "We may meet again." "Never!" I said firmly. "Ah, but we may, I have a number of disguises. Let me suggest something that will make another mistake of this kind impossible." "I am not going to give up my plan," I said. "No, don't," he answered; "but _why not drink the sugared half first?_" * * * * * Extract from an official letter received "Somewhere in France":-- "It must be clearly understood that the numbers shown under the heading, 'Awaiting Leave' will be the number of all ranks who have not had leave to the United Kingdom since last arrival in this country, whether such arrival was their last return from Leave, or their last arrival in France." And the Authorities are still wondering why the "Awaiting Leave" list tallied so exactly with the daily strength. * * * * * [Illustration: A GREAT INCENTIVE. MEHMED (_reading despatch from the All-Highest_). "'DEFEND JERUSALEM AT ALL COSTS FOR MY SAKE. I WAS ONCE THERE MYSELF.'"] * * * * * THE MUD LARKS.