PRESIDENT—EXPLANATION—IDEA.

    here

   are, it appears, sixteen bed-rooms in the house, independently of servants' rooms.

   The question is, How shall we decide?

    Happy Thought.

   —Toss up.

   We do so. The “odd man” to toss again, and so on. I am the last odd man. Boodels chooses the room with the stain on the floor. He says he prefers it.

   We drive back to Station. Thoughtful and sleepy journey.

   Chilvern is to arrange all details as to fitting up and furnishing. This, he says, he can do, inexpensively and artistically, in a couple of weeks' time.

   Milburd points out clearly to us that the old woman in charge evidently doesn't want to be turned out, and so invented the ghost. We all think it highly probable, except Boodels, who says he doesn't see why there shouldn't be a ghost. We don't dispute it.

   The next thing is to make up a party. Cazell tells us “what we ought to do.” “We ought,” he says, “to form ourselves into a committee, and ask so many people.”

   We meet in the evening to choose our party. Rather difficult to propose personal friends, whom

   every one of us will like. We agree that we must be outspoken, and if we don't like a guest proposed, we must say so, and, as it were, blackball him.

   Or

    her

   ?—This remark leads to the question, Are there to be any ladies? Boodels says decidedly, Yes.

   Chilvern, putting it artistically, says, “We want a bit of colour in a house like that.”

   Cazell wants to know who is to be the host. Boodels proposes me.

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