"I might do that," said Beth. "It would be a paragraph practically ready-made for next week, and that's something, even if I don't get as much as a pocket handkerchief out of him. And I ought to. 'Lilith lisps that Mr. Linker, the well-known lingerie expert of Morriton St. James, who is perhaps England's greatest artist in nightdresses, is about to startle the world with an original design in--whisper, belovedest, if there are any men in the room--cami-knickers. Anyone with a real regard for undies--and which of us has not?--will at once write to----' I must ask him his address when I see him. Come on, Mary, and let's try. An ad. like that ought to be worth something." "Suppose we all go," said Sir Evelyn, still anxious to be polite to the influential Linker. "I shan't stir a step," said Jimmy. "I hate that kind of oily beggar." Hinton held the door open for the two ladies and Sir Evelyn. When they had left the room he turned to Jimmy. "Beg pardon, my lord," he said, "I took the opportunity of speaking a few words to Mr. Linker before announcing him." "Oh, you did, did you? I hope you told him not to allow anyone to tempt him into trying to defraud the revenue." Hinton smiled feebly. "I understood from Mr. Linker," he said, "that he was inclined to consider your lordship's proposal sympathetically." "He'll have to do a great deal more than consider it. However, if he's got that far I may as well see him." Linker was a disagreeable little man with a pallid face, almost colourless shifty eyes and damp hands. He received Beth's thanks with many bows, but did not seem much excited by her offer of an advertisement in Lilith's Lispings. "Very much obliged to your ladyship, I'm sure," was all he said. He addressed Mary Lambert as "your ladyship" too, being perhaps under the impression that any ladies who associated on good terms with an earl must have titles of their own. He got away from the subject of his own business as soon as Jimmy entered the room, and made his appeal on behalf of the pageant. He said very much what Hinton had said in the morning, dwelling on the political advantage to Sir Evelyn of being associated with a popular and successful pageant--an advantage not at all obvious to anyone else--and the value to the pageant of Lord Colavon's help, which was, if possible, less obvious still. "I told Hinton to tell you," said Jimmy, "that I'm not going to touch your pageant. I'm not going to have anything to do with it. I'm not even going to see it." "Oh, Jimmy," said Mary, "it might be rather fun." "Aunt Agatha's pageant!" said Beth. "You must help if you can, though I don't see what good you can do except being a patron, and you're that already." "Now, I might be useful," said Mary--"really useful. I'm an actress, Mr. Linker." "Indeed, your ladyship?" said Linker. He did not seem impressed by this announcement. He perhaps thought that Mrs. Eames was capable of managing the acting part of it by herself.