‘Would you like to go out to Jellipore as Ranee?’ asked the Pilot. ‘No, thanks,’ replied Ina, ‘I’m going to be the only pebble on my beach, and he’s got a regular cartload on his.’ ‘You do generally appear to be stony, dear,’ said Ruby, amidst general laughter. ‘Ah! I haven’t got so many kind friends as you have,’ retorted Ina. There is no knowing what this conversation might have led to, had not the Blubber appeared at Ina’s elbow with uncanny stealth, and demanded in a sepulchral voice: ‘Sherry wine or ’ock, Miss?’ ‘D’you like Oxford?’ enquired Accrington, who always makes the most obvious remarks. ‘Oh! it’s lovely,’ responded Ruby enthusiastically, ‘and so exciting. Why, only yesterday I spent an hour in a man’s cupboard, because his aunt paid him a surprise visit on her way home from Scotland.’ ‘How very unpleasant for you, dearest,’ put in Lily sweetly, ‘but of course you can take care of yourself.’ ‘That’s better anyhow,’ replied Ruby tartly, ‘than always wanting one of the other sex to perform that duty, like someone I know.’ Here Freddy rapped sharply on the table and cried, ‘Parrot-house next door,’ which remark effectually silenced the girls, but seriously upset Reggie, who had been preparing a joke for several minutes. ‘I suppose you are a great authority on birds’ eggs now,’ queried the Pilot of Tiny, from the bottom of the table, amid a general silence. ‘What do you mean?’ demanded the fair one, who had completely forgotten the incident in question. ‘O nothing, only you spent two hours examining Martha’s collection with Freddy in our digs on Thursday afternoon.’ As nobody appeared to have anything further to say on this subject a holy hush fell upon the company, until Accrington, who had not asked a well-worn question for very nearly three minutes, demanded of Tweenie, ‘Have you seen any Freshers’ delights?’ ‘Do you mean Mr. de Beresford’s canary-coloured waistcoat?’ she asked. ‘’Pon my word you’re rather hard on poor D.B.,’ said Accrington, ‘didn’t I see you driving over with him to----?’ Here the Blubber, with involuntary tact, created a sufficient diversion by dropping a meringue and then standing on it. When Freddy had withered the old man with a glance, and more champagne had been dealt out all round, Squiff, who had been carrying on a _sotto voce_ conversation with Miss Childe since the beginning of the meal, suddenly looked up and remarked, ‘Kiddy’s going to dance the “Can-can” for us after lunch.’ When I noticed the startling change which passed over the features of the Blubber, I fancied that he must have seen this graceful display of agility before, and I subsequently found the aged reprobate with his eye glued to the keyhole. Freddy then proposed the health of the ‘Cannibal Girl’ Company in a neat little speech, in the course of which he mentioned that he never knew Cannibal girls wore so many clothes before.