mself, it would not have given a thought to the
matter, for it used to bear its owner to all sorts of places, from St.
James's Palace to Seven Dials.

CHAPTER XIII

HOW UNCLE MO WAS JUST TOO LATE. THE SHINY LADY. THE TURN THE MAN
HAD GIVEN AUNT M'RIAR, AND HER APOLOGIES. DOLLY'S INTENDED
HOSPITALITY TO MRS. PRICHARD ON HER RETURN. DOLLY'S DOLLY'S NEW
NAME. AN ARRANGEMENT, COMMITTING NEITHER PARTY. GUINEVERE,
LANCELOT, AND THE CAKE. MRS. PRICHARD INSANE?--THE IDEA! HOW GWEN
READ THE LETTER ALL BUT THE POSTSCRIPT. NOTHING FOR IT BUT TO TELL!
BUT HOW? FUN, TELLING THE CHILDREN. ANOTHER RECHRISTENING OF DOLLY.
GWEN'S LAST EXIT FROM MRS. PRICHARD'S APARTMENTS. JOAN OF ARC'S
SWORD'S SOUL. THE POSTSCRIPT. WIDOW THRALE'S DOG. WHAT THE CONVICT
HAD SAID. HOW LONG DOES BONA-FIDE OMNIPOTENCE TAKE OVER A JOB?

Gwen, leaving her convoy to wait for her in the antechamber of Sapps
Court, and approach No. 7 alone, heard as she knocked at the door an
altercation within; Aunt M'riar's voice and a strange one, with terror
in the former and threat in the latter. Had all sounded peaceful, she
might have held back, to allow the interview to terminate. But catching
the sound of fear in the woman's voice, and having none in her own
composition, she immediately delivered a double-knock of the most
unflinching sort, and followed it by pushing open the door.

She could hear Dave above, at the top window, recognising her as "The
Lady." As she entered, a man who was coming out flinched before her
meanly for a moment, then brushed past brutally. Aunt M'riar's face was
visible where she stood back near the staircase; it was white with
terror. She gasped out:--"Let him go; I'll come directly!" and ran
upstairs. Gwen heard her call to the children, more collectedly, to come
down, as the lady was there, and then apparently retreat into her room,
shutting the door. Thereon the children came rushing down, and before
she could get attention to her inquiry as to who that hideous man was,
Uncle Mo had pushed the door open. He had not asked that pill-box to
explain itself, but had gone straight on to No. 7. Dave met him on the
threshold, in a tempest of excitement, exclaiming: --"Oy say, Uncle
Mo!--the lady's here. The shoyny one. And oy say, Uncle Mo, the Man's
been." The last words were in a tone to themselves, quite unlike what
came before. It was as though Dave had said:--"The millennium has come