an't get over the spoiling of my flounces. I think
you had better both go away and leave me. If I could walk about
the room for half an hour and stamp my feet, I should get better."
Silverbridge thought that as he had come last, he certainly ought to
be left last. Miss Boncassen felt that, at any rate, Mr. Longstaff
should go. Dolly felt that his manhood required him to remain. After
what had taken place he was not going to leave the field vacant for
another. Therefore he made no effort to move.

"That seems rather hard upon me," said Silverbridge. "You told me to
come."

"I told you to come and ask after us all. You have come and asked
after us, and have been informed that we are very bad. What more can
I say? You accuse me of getting out of bed the wrong side, and I own
that I did."

"I meant to say that Dolly Longstaff had done so."

"And I say it was Silverbridge," said Dolly.

"We aren't very agreeable together, are we? Upon my word I think
you'd better both go." Silverbridge immediately got up from his
chair; upon which Dolly also moved.

"What the mischief is up?" asked Silverbridge, when they were under
the porch together.

"The truth is, you never can tell what you are to do with those
American girls."

"I suppose you have been making up to her."

"Nothing in earnest. She seemed to me to like admiration; so I told
her I admired her."

"What did she say then?"

"Upon my word, you seem to be very great at cross-examining. Perhaps
you had better go back and ask her."

"I will, next time I see her." Then he stepped into his cab, and in
a loud voice ordered the man to drive him to the Zoo. But when he
had gone a little way up Portland Place, he stopped the driver and
desired he might be taken back again to the hotel. As he left the
vehicle he looked round for Dolly, but Dolly had certainly gone. Then
he told the waiter to take his card to Miss Boncassen, and explain
that he had something to say which he had forgotten.

"So you have come back again?" said Miss Boncassen, laughing.

"Of course I have. You didn't suppose I was going to let that fellow
get the better of me. Why should I be turned out because he had made
an ass of himself!"

"Who said he made an ass of himself?"

"But he had; hadn't he?"

"No;--by no means," said she after a little pause.

"Tell me what he had been saying."

"Indeed I shall do nothing of the kind. If I told you all he said,
then I should have to tell the next m