"Good old Jimmy," said Bill. "Well, as I was telling you, Babe's pretty smart. You've got to be nowadays. She can put it over on most theatrical people. If you want to live, be high-handed, that's what Babe says. And mind you, she's the goods all right. She can act--it's marvellous how that girl can act. She'd not much chance in 'Damn Your Eyes'--just swamped in a pack of good-looking girls. I said why not try the legitimate stage--you know, Mrs. Tanqueray--that sort of stuff--but Babe just laughed--" "Have you seen Jimmy at all?" "Saw him this morning. Let me see, where was I? Oh, yes, I hadn't got to the rumpus yet. And mind you it was jealousy--sheer, spiteful jealousy. The other girl wasn't a patch on Babe for looks and she knew it. So she went behind her back--" Bundle resigned herself to the inevitable and heard the whole story of the unfortunate circumstances which had led up to Babe St. Maur's summary disappearance from the cast of "Damn Your Eyes." It took a long time. When Bill finally paused for breath and sympathy, Bundle said: "You're quite right, Bill, it's a rotten shame. There must be a lot of jealousy about--" "The whole theatrical world's rotten with it." "It must be. Did Jimmy say anything to you about coming down to the Abbey next week?" For the first time, Bill gave his attention to what Bundle was saying. "He was full of a long rigmarole he wanted me to stuff Codders with. About wanting to stand in the Conservative interest. But you know, Bundle, it's too damned risky." "Stuff," said Bundle. "If George _does_ find him out, he won't blame you. You'll just have been taken in, that's all." "That's not it at all," said Bill. "I mean it's too damned risky for Jimmy. Before he knows where he is, he'll be parked down somewhere like Tooting West, pledged to kiss babies and make speeches. You don't know how thorough Codders is and how frightfully energetic." "Well, we'll have to risk that," said Bundle. "Jimmy can take care of himself all right." "You don't know Codders," repeated Bill. "Who's coming to this party, Bill? Is it anything very special?" "Only the usual sort of muck. Mrs. Macatta for one." "The M.P.?" "Yes, you know, always going off the deep end about Welfare and Pure Milk and Save the Children. Think of poor Jimmy being talked to by her." "Never mind Jimmy. Go on telling me." "Then there's a Hungarian, what they call a Young Hungarian. Countess something unpronounceable. She's all right." He swallowed as though embarrassed and Bundle observed that he was crumbling his bread nervously. "Young and beautiful?" she inquired delicately. "Oh! rather." "I didn't know George went in for female beauty much." "Oh! he doesn't. She runs baby feeding in Buda Pesth--something like that. Naturally she and Mrs. Macatta want to get together." "Who else?" "Sir Stanley Digby--" "The Air Minister?"