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“Excuse me, you should never say ‘I don’t know,’” said the old gentleman. “It is a very bad plan. If you really do not know anything, you should always pretend that you do. I invariably do so, and I ought to know, for I am the Wallypug’s Doctor-in-law.”

“Oh! Who is the Wallypug, please?” asked Girlie curiously, “and I’m afraid I don’t know what a doctor-in-law is, either.”

“One question at a time, my child,” said the old gentleman. “Who the Wallypug is you will soon find out for yourself; and a doctor-in-law is something between a father-in-law and a step-father, a sort of half-a-stepfather, in fact. That will be six-and-eightpence, please,” and the Doctor-in-law held out his hand with a smile.

“What for?” exclaimed Girlie.

“Professional advice,” said the Doctor-in-law blandly.

“What advice?” asked Girlie; “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Didn’t I advise you never to say, ‘I don’t know’?” explained the Doctor-in-law.

“But I didn’t ask you to give me any advice at all,” cried Girlie in dismay.