passage by the next big ship that
leaves Madras. I imagine he will be home in October.'

'If he have a favourable passage,' said Lord Denyer. 'Favoured by your
good wishes the winds and the waves ought to deal gently with him.'

'Ah, we have done with the old days of Greek story, when Neptune was
open to feminine influence,' sighed her ladyship. 'My poor Ulysses has
no goddess of wisdom to look after him.'

'Perhaps not, but he has the most charming of Penelopes waiting for him
at home.'

'A Penelope who goes to dinners, and takes life pleasantly in his
absence. That is a new order of things, is it not?' said her ladyship,
laughingly. 'I hope my poor Ulysses will not come home thoroughly broken
in health, but that our Sutherlandshire breezes will set him up again.'

'Rather an ordeal after India, I should think,' said Lord Denyer.

'It is his native air. He will revel in it.'

'Delicious country, no doubt,' assented, his lordship, who was no
sportsman, and who detested Scotland, grouse moors, deer forests, salmon
rivers included.

His only idea of a winter residence was Florence or Capri, and of the
two he preferred Capri. The island was at that time little frequented by
Englishmen. It had hardly been fashionable since the time of Tiberius,
but Lord Denyer went there, accompanied by his French chef, and a dozen
other servants, and roughed it in a native hotel; while Lady Denyer
wintered at the family seat among the hills near Bath, and gave herself
over to Low Church devotion, and works of benevolence. She made herself
a terror to the neighbourhood by the strictness of her ideas all through
the autumn and winter; and in the spring she went up to London, put on
her turban and her diamonds, and plunged into the vortex of West-End
society, where she revolved among other jewelled matrons for the season,
telling herself and her intimates that this sacrifice of inclination was
due to his lordship's position. Lady Denyer was not the less
serious-minded because she was seen at every aristocratic resort, and
wore low gowns with very short sleeves, and a great display of mottled
arm and dimpled elbow.

Now came her ladyship's smiling signal for the withdrawal of that fairer
half of the assembly which was supposed to be indifferent to Lord
Denyer's famous port and Madeira. She had been throwing out her gracious
signals unperceived for at least five minutes before Lady Maulevrier
responded, so entirely was that lady abso