; more are expected;
and all the small cages have got their occupants."

"I am dying of curiosity," said Mary. "Tell us everything about
everybody. Who have arrived?"

"We have everything of a household save the host. He is absent; and,
stranger than all, no one knows where."

"How singular!" exclaimed Corrigan.

"Is it not? He arrived this morning with the Kilgoffs, and has not
since been heard of. I left his amiable guests at the breakfast-table
conversing on his absence, and endeavoring to account for it under every
variety of 'shocking accident' one reads of in the morning papers. The
more delicately minded were even discussing, in whispers, how long it
would be decent to stay in a house if the owner committed suicide."

"This is too shocking," said Mary.

"And yet there are men who do these things! Talleyrand it was, I
believe, who said that the fellow who shot himself showed a great want
of _savoir vivre_. Well, to come back: we have the Kilgoffs, whom I have
not seen as yet; the Meeks, father and daughter; the MacFarlines; Mrs.
White and her familiar, a distinguished author; the whole Kennyfeck
tribe; Frobisher; some five or six cavalry subalterns; and a large mob
of strange-looking people, of both sexes, making up what in racing slang
is called the 'ruck' of the party."

"Will it not tax your ingenuity, Mr. Linton, to amuse, or even to
preserve concord among such a heterogeneous multitude?" said Mary.

"I shall amuse them by keeping them at feud with each other, and, when
they weary of that, let them have a grand attack of the whole line upon
their worthy host and entertainer. Indeed, already signs of rebellious
ingratitude have displayed themselves. You must know that there has
been a kind of petty scandal going about respecting Lady Kilgoff and Mr.
Cashel."

"My dear sir," said Mr. Corrigan, gravely, but with much courtesy, "when
my granddaughter asked you for the latest news of your gay household,
she did so in all the inconsiderate ignorance her habits and age may
warrant; but neither she nor I cared to hear more of your guests than
they ought to have reported of them, or should be repeated to the ears
of a young lady."

"I accept the rebuke with less pain," said Linton, smiling easily,
"because it is, in part at least, unmerited. If you had permitted me
to continue, you should have seen as much." Then, turning to Miss
Leicester, he added: "You spoke of amusement, and you 'll acknowledge
we are