SECOND SCENE
We were back in our ordinary clothes.
"I wonder if they guessed that," said Archie.
"It was very easy," said Myra. "I should have thought they'd have seen it at once."
"But of course they're not a very clever lot," I explained. "That fellow with the spectacles—"
"Simpson his name is," said Archie. "I know him well. He's a professional golfer."
"Well, he LOOKS learned enough. I expect he knows all right. But the others—"
"Do you think they knew that we were supposed to be in a shop?"
"Surely! Why, I should think even—What's that man's name over there? No; that one next to the pretty lady—ah, yes, Thomas. Is that Thomas, the wonderful cueist, by the way? Really! Well, I should think even Thomas guessed that much."
"Why not do it over again to make sure?"
"Oh no, it was perfectly obvious. Let's get on to the final scene."
"I'm afraid that will give it away rather," said Myra.
"I'm afraid so," agreed Archie.
THIRD SCENE
We sat on camp-stools and looked up at the ceiling with our mouths open.
"'E's late," said Archie.
"I don't believe 'e's coming, and I don't mind 'oo 'ears me sye so," said Myra. "So there!"
"'Ot work," I said, wiping my brow.
"Nar, not up there. Not 'ot. Nice and breezy like."
"But 'e's nearer the sun than wot we are, ain't 'e?"
"Ah, but 'e's not 'ot. Not up there."
"'Ere, there 'e is," cried Myra, jumping up excitedly. "Over there. 'Ow naow, it's a bird. I declare I quite thought it was 'im. Silly of me."
There was silence for a little, and then Archie took a sandwich out of his pocket.
"Wunner wot they'll invent next," he said, and munched stolidly.
. . . . . . .
"Well done," said Dahlia.
"Thomas and I have been trying to guess," said Simpson, "but the strain is terrific. My first idea was 'codfish,' but I suppose that's wrong. It's either 'silkworm' or 'wardrobe.' Thomas suggests 'mangel-wurzel.' He says he never saw anybody who had so much the whole air of a wurzel as Archie. The indefinable elan of the wurzel was there."
"Can't you really guess?" said Myra eagerly.
"I don't know whether I want you to or not. Oh no, I don't want you to."
"Then I withdraw 'mangel-wurzel,'" said Simpson gallantly.
"I think I can guess," said Blair. "It's—"
"Whisper it," said Simpson. "I'm never going to know."
Blair whispered it.
"Yes," said Myra disappointedly, "that's it."