“Could you lend her a bath-robe and slippers, sir?”

He smiled: “Has she concluded to stay here indefinitely?”

“Her clothes are in the tub, Mr. Barry.”

“In the bath-tub?”

“In the laundry tub.”

“Oh. So you’re going to do her laundry for her!”

“It’s no trouble, sir. I can ’ave them for her by early afternoon.”

“You’re a duck, Xantippe. You look after her. I’m going down-town to the office. Give her some lunch.”

“Very good, sir.”

He followed Mrs. Sniffen to the corridor, where his straw hat and malacca stick hung on a peg.