he seemed to have spoken seriously and to be genuinely at a loss
to recall an episode over the printed report of which the entire
domestic staff had been gloating ever since the arrival of the
halfpenny morning paper to which they subscribed.

"Do you really mean it, Mr. James?" he enquired cautiously.

"Mean what?"

"You have really forgotten that you were engaged in a fracas last
night at the Six Hundred Club?"

Jimmy sat up with a jerk, staring at this omniscient man. Then
the movement having caused a renewal of the operations of the
red-hot corkscrew, he fell back again with a groan.

"Was I? How on earth did you know? Why should you know all about
it when I can't remember a thing? It was my fault, not yours."

"There is quite a long report of it in to-day's _Daily Sun_, Mr.
James."

"A report? In the _Sun_?"

"Half a column, Mr. James. Would you like me to fetch the paper?
I have it in my pantry."

"I should say so. Trot a quick heat back with it. This wants
looking into."