"Horrid!" shivered Ridgwell. "You mean, Lal, those wicked Roman Emperors who let the poor Christians be eaten?" "My child," announced the Lion gravely, "free meals have invariably been productive of much unpleasant discussion and inquiries afterwards. But see now," he added coaxingly, "the perfect state of perfection the world has arrived at. The Pleasant Lions give the banquet themselves now. Every single thing to-night was provided by Lions. I gave the party--I, the Pleasant-Faced Lion. The four laughing lions from Westminster helped. Richard Coeur-de-Lion presided, and Messrs. Lyons provided all the refreshments." "Any rate, Lal," observed Ridgwell, "although Christine and I both love you, of course--lions must have been very cruel and savage once, otherwise they wouldn't have _thought_ of eating anybody, would they?" "Ah, my little boy," replied the Pleasant-Faced Lion softly, "if you were kept without food for days and days I wonder what you would do." "Tuck in like mad the first chance I got," announced Ridgwell with conviction. "Perhaps the lions did the same thing," observed Lal gently. "However, I feel I cannot offer any excuse for their past conduct; yet," continued the Pleasant-Faced Lion wisely, as he jogged contentedly on, homewards towards Balham, "I have a fair proposition to make to you, although it may seem somewhat in the nature of a riddle to you both at the present moment." "What is it?" asked the children in a breath. "Suppose," said the Lion--"I only say suppose--both of you ever had a chance of eating me, of--ahem! in short, devouring your old friend Lal, would you do it?" asked the Lion, with an odd tremble in his voice. The question seemed to be so odd, not to mention out of place, that both the children laughed. "Why, Lal," chuckled Ridgwell, "how ridiculous you are. How could Christine or myself ever possibly eat even a little bit of you?" "No," answered the Lion, "I believe you are both little Christian children, and yet," he added with a sigh, "you might both become Pagans." "What's a Pagan?" asked Ridgwell. Again the Lion sighed. "My child," he said, "you have a very great deal to learn, and among the many things at present hidden from you is the fact that both you and Christine will see me once again and once only." "Where?" asked the children. "At your home in Balham." "Good gracious," said Ridgwell, "will you knock at the hall door?" "No," said the Pleasant-Faced Lion. "Or appear sitting in the raspberry bushes in the garden?" ventured Christine. "If so, you will spoil them, you know!" "No," said the Lion, "certainly not." "Then how will you come?" asked Ridgwell. "You will see me again once more," asserted the Lion, "in three days from now, and moreover inside your own home." "Three days from now is Ridge's birthday," ventured Christine; "of course, it would be very nice to see you, but I do wonder how you will come, and I do wonder how we shall be able to explain you away."