Neck suppose I spend around fity Saturdays and Sundays a your anrer peu’ houses, and as a rei have Become fry “Ider and this one was in now I didnot ike. The place smelled rong "There was the faint, desiceated whi of someting fe Toxurfusly in my great marble bath; and T couldnt help Fre iny that no unpleasant things were going to happen before Monday came “The het of them — though more of a surprise than an un eet putting on my socks when softy the door opened, and an BREAN lopsided grome in black tls sid into the roam. He Wiehe butler, he explained, and his name was Jelks, and Sis hope was comfortable and had everything I wanted. Told him twas and had THe sid he would Jo al he could 9 make my wesk-en agrecale, I thanked him and waited for him to go, He hes! TaeGana then, ine vole dripping with unction, he beeged vetsion to mention a rather delfate mate. 1 told him to 0 ahead Tobe quite fank, he said it was about tpping. The whole busines of ping made him acutely miserable (On? And hy was that? SHOILAC Lally wanted to know, he dn ike the idea. that hia guests fee under an obligation to tip him when they let the Rouse as indeed they oid, St was an undignified pro vee ding both forthe tipper and the tipped. Moreover, he was Saat atare ofthe angulsh that was often created in the mins Stlpusts each as mysel, i 1 would pardon the Tibety, who Sit teat compelled by convention to give more than they ould really afford Tie Reuse and two small erafty eyes watched iy face for a tigeht mmemured tht he needat worry himself about such aid, he hoped sincerely that 1 would things s0 far as Iwas (On the cont agree from the beginning to give him no tip at all. 138 . Neck ‘Well, I said. ‘Let’s not fuss about it now, and when the time comes we'll see how we ft ‘No, sie! he cried, ‘Please I really must insist So I agreed. He thanked me, and shuffled a stop or two closer. Then, laying his head on one side and clasping his hands before hita Tike a priest, he gave a tiny apologetic shrug of the shoulders. The small sharp eyes were still watching me, and I waited, one sock on, the other in my hands, trying to guess what was All that he would ask, he said softly, so softly now that his voice was like music heard faintly in the street outside a great concert hall, all that he would ask was that instead of a tip I should give him thirty-three and a third per cent of my. winnings at cards over the week-end. If I lost, there would be nothing to pay. It was all s0 soft and smooth and sudden that T was not even surprised, ‘Do they play alot of cards, Jelks?" “Yes, sirya great deal.” sn" thirty-three and a third a bit steep?” ‘don’t think so, si." “Tilgive you ten per cent.” "No, sir, I couldn't do that.’ He was now examining the fingernails of his left hand, and patiently frowning. — “Then we'll makeiit fifteen. Allright?’ ri “Thiety-three and a third, si, IUs very reasonable, After al sir, seeing that T don’t even know if you are a good player, ‘what I'm actually doing, not meaning to be personal, is back jnga horse and I've never even scen it run. No doubt you think that I should never have started bar ssining with the butler in the first place, and perhaps you a Fight. But being & liberal-minded person, 1 always try my best, o be affable with the lower classes, Apart from that, Tthought about it, the more T had to admit to myself that it, was an offer no sportsman had the eight tore “All right then, Jelks, As you wish “Thank you, sir.’ He moved towards the door, walking 139