bed yearly on the oak paneling of the college
refectory, and a reprint from these in pamphlet form accompanies all the
prospectuses that are sent out to parents. It was alleged that no other
ladies' seminary in Erewhon could show such a brilliant record during all
the years of Miss La Frime's presidency. Many other guests of less note
were there, but the lions of the evening were the two Professors whom we
have already met with, and more particularly Hanky, who took the Mayoress
in to dinner. Panky, of course, wore his clothes reversed, as did
Principal Crank and Professor Gabb; the others were dressed English
fashion.

Everything hung upon the hostess, for the host was little more than a
still handsome figure-head. He had been remarkable for his good looks as
a young man, and Strong is the nearest approach I can get to a
translation of his Erewhonian name. His face inspired confidence at
once, but he was a man of few words, and had little of that grace which
in his wife set every one instantly at his or her ease. He knew that all
would go well so long as he left everything to her, and kept himself as
far as might be in the background.

Before dinner was announced there was the usual buzz of conversation,
chiefly occupied with salutations, good wishes for Sunday's weather, and
admiration for the extreme beauty of the Mayoress's three daughters, the
two elder of whom were already out; while the third, though only
thirteen, might have passed for a year or two older. Their mother was so
much engrossed with receiving her guests that it was not till they were
all at table that she was able to ask Hanky what he thought of the
statues, which she had heard that he and Professor Panky had been to see.
She was told how much interested he had been with them, and how unable he
had been to form any theory as to their date or object. He then added,
appealing to Panky, who was on the Mayoress's left hand, "but we had
rather a strange adventure on our way down, had we not, Panky? We got
lost, and were benighted in the forest. Happily we fell in with one of
the rangers who had lit a fire."

"Do I understand, then," said Yram, as I suppose we may as well call her,
"that you were out all last night? How tired you must be! But I hope
you had enough provisions with you?"

"Indeed we were out all night. We staid by the ranger's fire till
midnight, and then tried to find our way down, but we gave it up soon
after we had got o