"I'll try," he replied, mopping his brow. "You see, an American applied to me to lend him some money, a few days ago, and put up as collateral an elephant."
"Harold told me the story. I thought it very amusing."
"You won't when I've finished. The elephant arrived day before yesterday at Southampton, and, as I had informed the steamship company that I was the temporary owner of the beast, they forwarded it to my consulate at Christchurch."
"How does that affect us?"
"Affect us!" he cried. "Do you remember what I telegraphed my Vice-Consul?"
"Yes, almost word for word," she answered. "You asked for news of the fugitives, and, on the chance of their writing to Christchurch, told him to forward here anything that might have come for you."
"Exactly," shrieked the Consul; "and the blamed fool has forwarded the elephant!"
"What! Here? To Melton Court?" she exclaimed, aghast.
"That is what I said. The beast is on the way now, and ought to be here bright and early to-morrow morning."
"How awful! What will you do?"