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"What did you want to see me about?"

"The fact is, old man, I'm in a bit of a hole"

"What's thestory," said Eustace deprecatingly

"Go ahead"

"I don't knohere to begin"

"Have a dash at starting at the beginning"

Eustace stared glooloomily back

"Well, you reirl I ?"

"Jane Hubbard," said Eustace reverently "Sairl"

"I know You told me"

"But I didn't tell her I tried to ot to Southa a proposal is to bring off, isn't it! I didn't bring it off, and it began to look towhich gave me an idea She said the Bennetts had invited her to stay with theland, Old Mr Bennett and his pal Mortiet a house soed to find the house they wanted When I heard that, I said 'Ha!'"

"You said what?" asked Sam

"I said 'Ha!'"

"Why?"

"Because I had an idea Don't interrupt, old et me muddled Where was I?"

"I don't know"

"I reot the idea I happened to know, you see, that Bennett and Morti Windles for the suave them both the oing to be away in America all the summer, so why shouldn't I make a private deal, let them the house, and make it a stipulation that I was to stay there to look after things? And, to cut a long story short, that's what I did"

"You let Windles?"

"Yes Old Bennett was down on the dock at Southampton to meet Wilhelmina, and I fixed it up with hi the place that he didn't kick for a estion that I should stick on at the house Said he would be delighted to have me there, and wrote out a fat check on the spot We hired a car and drove straight over--it's only about twenty miles from Southampton, you know,--and we've been there ever since Bennett sent a wire to Morti him to join us, and he came down next day"