“Is he any particular breed?” said Berry.  “Or just a pot-pourri?”

I braced myself with a draught of champagne before replying.  Then—­

“He’s a Sealyham,” I said.

Uprose a damnatory chorus.

“I do hereby protest,” said Berry.  “A barbarous breed, notorious for its unprovoked ferocity.  Peaceable possession of our tenement will be unknown.  Ingress and egress will be denied us.  Substantial compensation will be an everyday affair.  Any more for the Pasteur Institute?”

“Rot,” said I.  “You’re jealous.”

“They’ve awfully uncertain tempers,” said Daphne.  “Maisie Dukedom had one, and it went down and bit a new cook, who’d just come, before she’d got her things off.  They had to give her five pounds, put her up at an hotel for the night, and pay her fare back to Bristol.  And she had wonderful references.”

“Instinct,” said I.  “The dog saw through her.  They ought to have been grateful.”

“Truth is,” said Jonah, “they’re a bit too sporting for London.”

“Look here,” said I, consulting my watch.  “At the present moment the poor little dog is probably fretting his soul out in the servants’ hall.  So we’ll have to keep him to-night.  If he’s the ravening beast you say he is, he shall be fired to-morrow.  If not, I shall stick to him.  That’s fair enough, isn’t it?”

“He’s going to be a darling,” said Jill.  “I’m sure of it.”

Before we left for the theatre, I telephoned home and spoke to the butler.

“Is that you, Falcon?”

“It is, sir.”

“Any dogs come for me?”

“Only one, sir.”

“Is he all right?”

“Seems a little unsettled, sir, and—­er—­suspicious.  He was rather short with Fitch sir, when he come in, but he had his leggin’s on, sir, so there’s no ’arm done.  He’s all right with me, sir.”

I thought of the Dukedoms’ cook and moistened my lips.

“See that he has a run on the lead before you go to bed,” I said as nonchalantly as possible, “and then put him upstairs on my bed.”

“Very good, sir.”

I returned to the lounge.

“Has the little bit of Heaven arrived?” said Berry

I nodded.

“Casualties?”

“Nil,” said I.  “Everything in the garden is lovely.”

“No doubt,” said Berry.  “And the servants’ hall?  I suppose that’s a shambles.”

“Don’t be silly,” said I.  “He’s as good as gold.”

“There you are,” said Jill staunchly.

“Cupboard love,” said Berry.  “You wait till we come in.  I shouldn’t be surprised if he concentrated on me.  They always aim high.  It will be your duty,” he added, turning to Daphne, “to suck the wound.  That is a wife’s privilege.”

“The best thing,” said Jonah, “is to hold a cigarette-end to the place.”

“I beg your pardon,” said Berry.

“Well, an iron takes such a time to heat.”