306 WHO IS TO KIDE HIM ? 



" What ! " exclaimed George, jumping out of the 

 chair considerably quicker than he had got into it, 

 and throwing away the cigar which he had been 

 indolently puffing — " what ! twelve five ? It can- 

 not be ; weigh me again, Tim." 



The old man did so with the same result. " Oh, 

 hang it ! " said George, " the scale is wrong ; it can- 

 not be. I am not a bit heavier than I was ; the 

 same clothes fit me I wore two years ago. It's all 

 bosh." 



" I don't know, Master George, if it's all bosh or 

 no," replied his old servant, " but the scale is right. 

 Now lookee, sir, I've been fourteen stun nine for 

 the last eleven years — not a hounce more or less. 

 See my weight, sir." 



George cast his eyes up at the dial as Tom 

 wriggled himself into the chair. 



" Yes," he said, " you are right — fourteen nine to 

 a fraction, Tim. How the deuce I came to be this 

 weight I have no idea ; but I cannot shut my eyes 

 to the fact that, instead of eleven three, my old 

 walking weight, I am twelve five — sixteen pounds 

 in less than two years," he muttered, as he sauntered 

 away. " By George, I'll knock off that sixteen 

 pounds pretty quickly, though. I detest fat 

 people. An idle life will not suit me. I'll do 

 Banting or something." 



