e gentleman seemed unoffended,
and carefully stripped a brand-label from a new cigar. "I presume," said
he, "that 'before we were married' means 'immediately before?'"

"What would you have it mean?" said the lady.

The gentleman let the issue go, and made no reply. After he had used a
penknife on the cigar-end to his satisfaction, he said:--"Exactly when
was it?"

"Suppose we go outside and find my chair, if you are going to smoke,"
said the lady. "You mustn't smoke in here, and quite right, because
these little darlings hate it, and I want to see the Hippopotamus."

"Out we go!" said the gentleman. And out they went. It was not until
they had recovered the lady's wheeled chair, and were on their way
towards the Hippopotamus, that she resumed the lost thread of their
conversation, as though nothing had interrupted it.

"It was just about that time we came here, and Dr. Sir Thingummybob came
up when we were looking at the Kinkajou--over there!... No, I don't want
to go there now. Go on through the tunnel." This was to the chairman,
who had shown a tendency to go off down a side-track, like one of his
class at a public meeting. "I suppose you remember that?"

"Rather!" said the gentleman, enjoying his first whiff.

"Well--it was just about then. A little after the accident--don't you
remember?--the house that tumbled down?"

"I remember all about it. The old lady I carried upstairs. Well--didn't
you believe _then_ it was all up with Sir Adrian's eyesight? _I_ did."

"My dear!--how you do overstate things! Shall I ever persuade you to be
accurate? We were all much alarmed about him, and with reason. But I for
one always did believe, and always shall believe, that there was immense
exaggeration. People do get so excited over these things, and make
mountains out of molehills."

The gentleman said:--"H'm!"

"Well!" said the lady convincingly. "All I say is--see how well his eyes
are now!"

The gentleman seemed only half convinced, at best. "There was something
_rum_ about it," said he. "You'll admit that?"

"It depends entirely on what you mean by 'rum.' Of course, there was
something a little singular about so sudden a recovery, if that is what
you mean."

"Suppose we make it 'a little singular!' I've no objection."

The interest of the main topic must have superseded the purely
academical issue. For the lady appeared disposed towards a
recapitulation in detail of the incidents referred to. "Gwen went away