"But how did it all happen ?" Pollyooly told the story of the intervention of Mr.Butterwick; and the Honourable John Ruffin chuckled freely, for no reason that she could see, as he listened to it.

At the end of it he said sententiously: "Well, all's well that ends well.

These foreign countries are not suited to English girls: Miss Flossie would never be happy in Bohemia." The next morning, when she brought in his grilled bacon, he said that they might now congratulate themselves on the prospect of leading their quiet, industrious lives in peace for a while.
These congratulations, however, were premature, for only three days later he was sitting in his rooms, having just come from the Law Courts, where he had been acting as junior counsel in an awkward case, and was bracing himself to the effort of getting himself his afternoon tea, since Pollyooly had gone with the Lump to take the air in Hyde Park.
Suddenly there came a sharp, hurried knocking on his outer door.
The Honourable John Ruffin raised his eyebrows, opened his eyes rather wide, and said to his cigarette: "A woman in distress, evidently.

Who on earth can it be ?" He did not spring to his feet and dash to the door to offer instant aid to the distressed one.

He rose slowly and walked slowly to the door, assuming slowly as he went an air of deep, but patient, resignation.
He opened the door gingerly.