Shelton, too, looked anxiously around. He could not help feeling sympathy with Toombs and Body. “They 're getting slack, I'm afraid,” said the little deep-eyed man. “Our principle is to amuse everyone. Excuse me a minute; I see that Carpenter is doing nothing.” He crossed over to the man who had been drinking coffee, but Shelton had barely time to glance at his opponent and try to think of a remark, before the little man was back. “Do you know anything about astronomy?” he asked of Shelton. “We have several very interested in astronomy; if you could talk to them a little it would help.” Shelton made a motion of alarm. “Please-no,” said he; “I--” “I wish you'd come sometimes on Wednesdays; we have most interesting talks, and a service afterwards. We're always anxious to get new blood”; and his eyes searched Shelton's brown, rather tough-looking face, as though trying to see how much blood there was in it. “Young Curly says you 've just been around the world; you could describe your travels.” “May I ask,” said Shelton, “how your club is made up?” Again a look of complacency, and blessed assuagement, visited the little man. “Oh,” he said, “we take anybody, unless there 's anything against them. The Day Society sees to that. Of course, we shouldn't take anyone if they were to report against them. You ought to come to our committee meetings; they're on Mondays at seven. The women's side, too--” “Thank you,” said Shelton; “you 're very kind--” “We should be pleased,” said the little man; and his face seemed to suffer more than ever. “They 're mostly young fellows here to-night, but we have married men, too. Of course, we 're very careful about that,” he added hastily, as though he might have injured Shelton's prejudices--“that, and drink, and anything criminal, you know.” “And do you give pecuniary assistance, too?” “Oh yes,” replied the little man; “if you were to come to our committee meetings you would see for yourself. Everything is most carefully gone into; we endeavour to sift the wheat from the chaff.” “I suppose,” said Shelton, “you find a great deal of chaff?” The little man smiled a suffering smile. The twang of his toneless voice sounded a trifle shriller. “I was obliged to refuse a man to-day--a man and a woman, quite young people, with three small children. He was ill and out of work; but on inquiry we found that they were not man and wife.” There was a slight pause; the little man's eyes were fastened on his nails, and, with an appearance of enjoyment, he began to bite them. Shelton's face had grown a trifle red. “And what becomes of the woman and the children in a case like that?” he said. The little man's eyes began to smoulder. “We make a point of not encouraging sin, of course. Excuse me a minute; I see they've finished bagatelle.”