ng to the rescue, seized him
summarily and snatched him away.

"The darling!" cried Lady Mariamne, "he sees it, and you can't see it, a
great big lawyer though you are. Dolly, don't throttle my angel child.
Stands up for his family, don't he, the dear? Mr. Tatham, how can you be
so bigoted and stubborn, when our dear little Toto---- But you always
were the most obstinate man. Do you remember once, when I wanted to take
you to Lady Dogberry's dance--wasn't it Lady Dogberry's?--well, it was
Lady Somebody's--and you said you were not asked, and I said, what did
it matter: but to make you go, and Nell was with me--we might as well
have tried to make St. Paul's go----"

"My dear Lady Mariamne," said John.

She held up a finger at him with the engaging playfulness of old. "How
can I be your dear Lady Mariamne, Mr. Tatham, when you won't do a thing
I ask you? What, Dolly? Yes, we must go, of course, or I shall not have
my nap before dinner. I always have a nap before dinner, for the sake of
my complexion, don't you know--my beauty nap, they call it. Now, Mr.
Tatham, come to me to-morrow, and you shall give Toto his cream, to show
you bear no malice, and tell me all about the boy. Don't be an obstinate
pig, Mr. Tatham. Now, I shall look for you--without fail. Shan't we look
for him, Dolly?--and Toto will give you a paw and forgive you--and you
must tell me all about the boy."

CHAPTER XXXV.

To tell her all about the boy!

John Tatham shovelled his papers into his portfolio, and shut it up with
a snap of embarrassment, a sort of confession of weakness. He pushed
back his chair with the same sharpness, almost making a noise upon the
old Turkey carpet, and he touched his bell so that it sounded with a
shrill electric ping, almost like a pistol-shot. Simmons understood all
these signs, and he was very sympathetic when he came in to take Mr.
Tatham's last orders and help him on with his coat.

"Spoilt your evening's work," said Simmons, compassionately. "I knew
they would. Ladies never should enter a gentleman's chambers if I could
help it. They've got nothing to do in the Temple."

"You forget some men in the Temple are married, Simmons."

"What does that matter?" said the clerk; "let 'em see their wives at
home, sir. What I will maintain is that ladies have no business here."

This was a little ungrateful, it must be said, for Simmons probably got
off three-quarters of an hour earlier than he would have done ha