Out rippled a delicious melody, harmonised with rich full chords this time. "That's it!" shouted the Writer excitedly. "Oh! lovely!! Billy, you're a treasure. Oh! play it again!" Mr. Billy Cracker obligingly consented. The Writer was dancing round the room and singing at one and the same time. "Ripping! Billy, Ripping! Write it down at once!" "Suppose you haven't got any music-paper in the place? No, I thought not; never mind, I can soon manufacture some from this manuscript-paper." "No, not that," exclaimed the Writer hastily, "that's my new poem." "Humph! Hope it's better than the one you have given me to set." "Billy," exclaimed the Writer enthusiastically, "I am going to stand you a tip-top lunch, and then I'm going to take you to Balham." "Balham, good gracious! what on earth for?" "You've got to give a music lesson in Balham after lunch, Billy, one lesson will be enough with that tune. Why, it's in my head now, I can't forget the thing." "Isn't that exactly what you required?" asked Billy languidly, as he wrote down notes. * * * * * Messrs. Vellum and Crackles, most concise and conservative of solicitors, found themselves suffering for the first time in the history of the firm from a fit of astonishment, not to mention dismay, regarding the strange nature and unusual features of a case concerning which their firm had recently received instructions. The case was considered so unusual that a sort of hastily contrived board meeting was deemed expedient, and was accordingly held in Mr. Vellum's private room. At the end of the meeting, Mr. Vellum gave instructions for the writing of a letter to the Board of Works, for special permission to have one of the Lions, which would be, hereinafter, especially pointed out and specified, removed from Trafalgar Square to the Law Courts, as its presence in Court was deemed indispensable in a case of a peculiar and special nature. "It is a very singular application," remarked Mr. Crackles thoughtfully. "I hope the request will not bring ridicule upon the firm," rejoined Mr. Vellum. BOOK III WHAT THE PUBLIC HEARD ABOUT CHAPTER X THE LION GOES TO COURT There was a curious hush of expectancy one early autumn afternoon in Court X., about to be presided over by Mr. Justice Chatty. Outside in the streets London was suffering from partial darkness, which is not infrequently the case, so a number of the lights in Court had been lit, and although they burned a somewhat dull amber, the lighting was sufficient to outline a truly remarkable scene. Mr. Justice Chatty, the Judge, had not yet entered and taken his seat, so that the expectant hush which had momentarily crept over the Court was all the more remarkable by way of contrast to the series of rushes which had gone before this state of calm.