t on his ingenious friend.

The Baron was delighted, but a little puzzled.

"Vat for are zese fishes and ze canaries?" he asked.

"To show your love of nature."

"Vy so?"

"There is nothing that pleases a woman more."

"My friend, you zink of everyzing!" exclaimed the Baron, admiringly.

When four o'clock approached he drew a night-shirt over his other garments
and got into bed. Mr Bunker at first was in favour of a complete change of
attire, but on his friend's expostulating against such a thorough
precaution, he admitted that it would be perhaps rather like the historic
blacking of Othello.

"Leave it all to me, my dear Baron," he said, reassuringly, as he tucked
him in; and with that he went into the other room and awaited the arrival
of their guests.

They came punctually. The Countess was full of concern for the "dear
Baron," while Lady Alicia, he could not help thinking, appeared unusually
reserved. In fact, his quick eye soon divined that something was the
matter.

"She has either been getting a lecture from the dowager or has found
something out," he said to himself.

However, it seemed that if she had found anything out it could have
nothing to do with the Baron's indisposition, for she displayed the most
ingenuous sympathy, and, he thought, she even appeared to aim it pointedly
at himself.

"So sudden!" exclaimed the Countess.

"It is rather sudden, but we'll hope it may pass as quickly as it came,"
said Mr Bunker, conveying a skilful impression of deep concern veiled by a
cheerful manner.

"Tell me honestly, Mr Bunker, is it dangerous?" demanded the countess.

Mr Bunker hesitated, gave a half-hearted laugh, and replied, "Oh, dear,
no! that is--at present, Lady Grillyer, we have really no reason to be
alarmed."

"I am _so_ sorry," murmured Lady Alicia.

Her mother looked at her approvingly.

"Poor Baron!" she said, in a tone of the greatest commiseration.

"So far from home!" sighed Mr Bunker. "And yet so cheerful through it
all," he added.

"What did you say was the matter?" asked the Countess.

Mr Bunker had thought it both wiser and more effective to maintain a
little mystery round his friend's malady.

"The doctor hasn't yet given a decided opinion," he replied.

"Can't we do anything?" said Lady Alicia, softly.

Mr Bunker thought the guests were nearly worked up to the proper pitch of
sympathy.

"Poor Rudolph!" he exclaimed. "It would cheer him immensely, I know, and
ease