"I give it up," said Father, "but I promise whatever he is he shall be attended to and entertained if possible."
"I cannot think what you will say to him," debated Ridgwell anxiously.
"I will do my best, Ridgwell; but from your description I should imagine the conversation will be a little one-sided. However," remarked Father drily, "perhaps he can be persuaded to smoke, or drink."
"No, Father, he never smokes, and he only drinks water."
"Ah! very abstemious," murmured Father; "perhaps he is a vegetarian as well, sounds like it, and they are always the most difficult people to entertain."
At this moment the conversation was interrupted by a loud knocking at the front door, and immediately the new electric bell sounded throughout the house. Ridgwell and Christine nearly tumbled over one another in order to get to the hall door first.
"It's Lal after all," shouted Ridgwell.
"Sure to be," chimed in Christine.
At length in the struggle the hall door was opened, but it wasn't the form of the Pleasant-Faced Lion who greeted them, only Mr. Jollyface, a friend of Father's and a happy, jolly old bachelor, who loved both of the children.
"Anybody with you?" inquired Ridgwell anxiously, as he peered either side of Mr. Jollyface's portly form.