inner the conversation turned almost
entirely on my father's flight, his narrow escape from drowning, and his
adventures on his return to England; about these last my father was very
reticent, for he said nothing about his book, and antedated his accession
of wealth by some fifteen years, but as he walked up towards the statues
with George he told him everything.

My father repeatedly tried to turn the conversation from himself, but
Mrs. Humdrum and Yram wanted to know about Nna Haras, as they persisted
in calling my mother--how she endured her terrible experiences in the
balloon, when she and my father were married, all about my unworthy self,
and England generally. No matter how often he began to ask questions
about the Nosnibors and other old acquaintances, both the ladies soon
went back to his own adventures. He succeeded, however, in learning that
Mr. Nosnibor was dead, and Zulora, an old maid of the most unattractive
kind, who had persistently refused to accept Sunchildism, while Mrs.
Nosnibor was the recipient of honours hardly inferior to those conferred
by the people at large on my father and mother, with whom, indeed, she
believed herself to have frequent interviews by way of visionary
revelations. So intolerable were these revelations to Zulora, that a
separate establishment had been provided for her. George said to my
father quietly--"Do you know I begin to think that Zulora must be rather
a nice person."

"Perhaps," said my father grimly, "but my wife and I did not find it
out."

When the ladies left the room, Dr. Downie took Yram's seat, and Hanky Dr.
Downie's; the Mayor took Mrs. Humdrum's, leaving my father, George, and
Panky, in their old places. Almost immediately, Dr. Downie said, "And
now, Mr, Higgs, tell us, as a man of the world, what we are to do about
Sunchildism?"

My father smiled at this. "You know, my dear sir, as well as I do, that
the proper thing would be to put me back in prison, and keep me there
till you can send me down to the capital. You should eat your oaths of
this morning, as I would eat mine; tell every one here who I am; let them
see that my hair has been dyed; get all who knew me when I was here
before to come and see me; appoint an unimpeachable committee to examine
the record of my marks and measurements, and compare it with those of my
own body. You should let me be seen in every town at which I lodged on
my way down, and tell people that you had made a mistake.