“We’ve had rather more people than usual in the shop today,” said Mr. Scarrick, “but I can’t recall a boy such as you describe.”

Mrs. Greyes and Miss Fritten looked round triumphantly at their friends. It was, of course, deplorable that anyone should treat the truth as an article temporarily and excusably out of stock, but they felt gratified that the vivid accounts they had given of Mr. Scarrick’s traffic in falsehoods should receive confirmation at first hand.

“I shall never again be able to believe what he tells me about the absence of colouring matter in the jam,” whispered an aunt of Mrs. Greyes tragically.