e Antony was sitting talking to me in his delightfully
lazy way, quite undisturbed by any one else in the room. He has
exactly grandmamma's manner of finding a general company simply
furniture.

He was just telling an amusing story of the house in Scotland he
had come from, when an explosion happened at the other side of
the fireplace. Loud coughing and choking, mixed with a clatter of
teaspoons and china--and, amid a terrified silence, the fog-horn
exclaimed:

"Surely, Mrs. Gussie, I told you plain enough that sugar in my tea
makes me sick."

I apologized as well as I could, and repaired my want of attention,
and then I felt my other guests must claim me, so I whispered to
Antony:

"Do go and talk to Lady Wakely, please. You are preventing me from
doing my duty! I am listening to you instead."

"Virtuous Comtesse!"

But he rose, and crossed over to the fat wife of the member for this
division, and soon her face beamed with smiles.

I soothed Mr. McCormack, who somehow felt the sugar had been his
fault.

Augustus mollified the fog-horn Dodd, and peace was restored all
around.

It is a long time between tea and dinner when the days are growing
short. It was only half-past six when every excuse for lingering over
the teacups had expired.

What on earth could one do with this ill-assorted company for a whole
hour?

Augustus, with a desire to be extremely smart, had commanded dinner at
half-past eight.

Mercifully, the decent people and some of the men played bridge, and
were soon engaged at one or two tables. Augustus, who is growing fond
of the game, made one of the fourth, thus leaving five of our guests
hanging upon my hands.

"Shall I show you your rooms? Perhaps you would like to rest before
dinner," I said to the ladies, who were good enough to assent, with
the exception of Mrs. Dodd, who snorted at the idea of resting.

"Wullie," she said to Mr. Dodd. She had evidently picked up the
Scotch pronunciation of his name from him, a quiet, red-haired man
originally from Glasgow. He was hovering in the direction of one of
the bridge-tables. "Wullie, don't let me see you playing that game of
cards. There are letters to be written to Martha and my mother. Come
with me," she commanded.

Mr. Dodd obeyed, and they retired to the library together.

They are evidently quite at home here, and did not need any attention
from me.

Antony Thornhirst was the only other guest unemployed, and he
immediately ro