negligently on the stone balustrade,
presiding over the scene with the cold impartiality of a Goddess of
Battles. A furious and repeated chorus of "I'll tell muvver" rose from
the lodge-children, but the lodge-mother, who was hard of hearing, was
for the moment immersed in the preoccupation of her washtub.

After an apprehensive glance in the direction of the lodge (the good
woman was gifted with the highly militant temper which is sometimes the
privilege of deafness) Mrs. Quabarl flew indignantly to the rescue of the
struggling captives.

"Wilfrid! Claude! Let those children go at once. Miss Hope, what on
earth is the meaning of this scene?"

"Early Roman history; the Sabine Women, don't you know? It's the Schartz-
Metterklume method to make children understand history by acting it
themselves; fixes it in their memory, you know. Of course, if, thanks to
your interference, your boys go through life thinking that the Sabine
women ultimately escaped, I really cannot be held responsible."

"You may be very clever and modern, Miss Hope," said Mrs. Quabarl firmly,
"but I should like you to leave here by the next train. Your luggage
will be sent after you as soon as it arrives."

"I'm not certain exactly where I shall be for the next few days," said
the dismissed instructress of youth; "you might keep my luggage till I
wire my address. There are only a couple of trunks and some golf-clubs
and a leopard cub."

"A leopard cub!" gasped Mrs. Quabarl. Even in her departure this
extraordinary person seemed destined to leave a trail of embarrassment
behind her.

"Well, it's rather left off being a cub; it's more than half-grown, you
know. A fowl every day and a rabbit on Sundays is what it usually gets.
Raw beef makes it too excitable. Don't trouble about getting the car for
me, I'm rather inclined for a walk."

And Lady Carlotta strode out of the Quabarl horizon.

The advent of the genuine Miss Hope, who had made a mistake as to the day
on which she was due to arrive, caused a turmoil which that good lady was
quite unused to inspiring. Obviously the Quabarl family had been
woefully befooled, but a certain amount of relief came with the
knowledge.

"How tiresome for you, dear Carlotta," said her hostess, when the overdue
guest ultimately arrived; "how very tiresome losing your train and having
to stop overnight in a strange place."

"Oh dear, no," said Lady Carlotta; "not at all tiresome--for me."