de of
ruffians, who have pounced upon us unawares, and are going into the
business of abduction on a wholesale basis, we must meet treachery with
treachery, strategy with strategy. I, for one, am perfectly willing to
make every man on board walk the plank, having confidence in the
seawomanship of Mrs. Noah and her ability to steer us into port."

"I am quite in accord with these views," put in Madame Recamier, "and I
move you, Mrs. President, that we organize a series of subcommittees--one
on treachery, with Lucretia Borgia and Delilah as members; one on
strategy, consisting of Portia and Queen Elizabeth; one on navigation,
headed by Mrs. Noah; with a final subcommittee on reconnoitre, with
Cassandra to look forward, and Mrs. Lot to look aft--all of these
subordinated to a central committee of safety headed by Cleopatra and
Calpurnia. The rest of us can then commit ourselves and our interests
unreservedly to these ladies, and proceed to enjoy ourselves without
thought of the morrow."

"I second the motion," said Ophelia, "with the amendment that Madame
Recamier be appointed chair-lady of another subcommittee, on
entertainment."

The amendment was accepted, and the motion put. It was carried with an
enthusiastic aye, and the organization was complete.

The various committees retired to the several corners of the room to
discuss their individual lines of action, when a shadow was observed to
obscure the moonlight which had been streaming in through the window. The
faces of Calpurnia and Cleopatra blanched for an instant, as, immediately
following upon this apparition, a large bundle was hurled through the open
port into the middle of the room, and the shadow vanished.

"Is it a bomb?" cried several of the ladies at once.

"Nonsense!" said Madame Recamier, jumping lightly forward. "A man doesn't
mind blowing a woman up, but he'll never blow himself up. We're safe
enough in that respect. The thing looks to me like a bundle of illustrated
papers."

"That's what it is," said Cleopatra, who had been investigating. "It's
rather a discourteous bit of courtesy, tossing them in through the window
that way, I think, but I presume they mean well. Dear me," she added, as,
having untied the bundle, she held one of the open papers up before her,
"how interesting! All the latest Paris fashions. Humph! Look at those
sleeves, Elizabeth. What an impregnable fortress you would have been with
those sleeves added to your ruffs!"

"I