eased surprise._) Then you know my cook _too_? An
_artist_? and she seems such a _respectable_ person! Pray what sort of
pictures does she paint?

_Lord Strath._ Pictures? Oh, really I don't know--potboilers probably.

[Mrs. TID. _glares at him suspiciously_.

_Conversational Scraps._ And when I got into the hall and saw them all
sitting in a row with their faces blacked, I said "I'm sure _they_ can't be
the Young Men's Christian Association!"... Hysteria? my poor dear wife is a
dreadful sufferer from it--I've known her unable to sleep at all except
with one foot curled round her neck!... (&c. &c.)

_Lord Strath._ (_to himself._) There's no doubt about it--this woman _is_
trying to snub me--hardly brings herself to talk at all--and _then_ she's
beastly rude! What did she ask me here _for_ if she can't be civil! If she
wasn't my hostess--I'll try her once more, she may know something about
antiquities--(_Aloud._) I suppose Mr. CARTOUCHE keeps his collection in a
separate room? I was told he has some hunting scarabs of the Amenhoteps
that I am very curious to see.

_Mrs. Tid._ (_stiffly_). Mr. CARTOUCHE may keep all sorts of disagreeable
pets, for anything _I_ know to the contrary.

_Lord Strath._ (_to himself, in amazement_). Pets! I'm hanged if I let
myself be snubbed like this! (_Aloud._) I'm afraid you have very little
sympathy with his tastes?

_Mrs. Tid._ Sympathy, indeed! I don't even know if he _has_ any tastes. I
am not in the habit of troubling myself about my next-door neighbour's
affairs.

_Lord Strath._ (_with a gasp_). Your next-door----! (_He pulls himself
together._) To be sure--of course not--stupid of me to ask! (_To himself._)
Good Heavens!--these _aren't_ the CARTOUCHES! I'm _at the wrong
dinner-party_--and this awful woman thinks I've done it on purpose! No
wonder she's so confoundedly uncivil!... And MARJORY knows it, too, and
won't speak to me! Perhaps they _all_ know it.... What on earth am I to
do?... I feel such a fool!

_Miss Seaton_ (_to herself_). How perfectly _ghastly_ DOUGLAS is looking!
Didn't he _really_ know the CARTOUCHES lived next door?... Then--_oh_, what
an idiot I've been! It's a mistake--he _doesn't_ come from BLANKLEY'S at
all! I _must_ speak to him--I must tell him how----no, I _can't_--I forgot
how horrid I've been to him! I should have to tell him I believed
_that_--and I'd rather die! No, it's too late--it's too late now!

[Miss SEATON _and_ Lord STRATHSP