"Permit me, sir, to explain," he said. "And, first of all, permit
me to apologize to you, Major Brown, for a most abominable and
unpardonable blunder, which has caused you menace and
inconvenience, in which, if you will allow me to say so, you have
behaved with astonishing courage and dignity. Of course you need
not trouble about the bill. We will stand the loss." And, tearing
the paper across, he flung the halves into the waste-paper basket
and bowed.

Poor Brown's face was still a picture of distraction. "But I don't
even begin to understand," he cried. "What bill? what blunder?
what loss?"

Mr P. G. Northover advanced in the centre of the room,
thoughtfully, and with a great deal of unconscious dignity. On
closer consideration, there were apparent about him other things
beside a screwed moustache, especially a lean, sallow face,
hawk-like, and not without a careworn intelligence. Then he looked
up abruptly.

"Do you know where you are, Major?" he said.

"God knows I don't," said the warrior, with fervour.

"You are standing," replied Northover, "in the office of the
Adventure and Romance Agency, Limited."

"And what's that?" blankly inquired Brown.

The man of business leaned over the back of the chair, and fixed