alm and maidenly
dignity.

"I think Sir Tiglath must be describing Shaftesbury Avenue," remarked
Mrs. Merillia, rather mischievously.

"Oh, really," stammered the Prophet, "I had no idea that it was such an
evil neighbourhood."

"Where is Shaftesbury Avenue?" asked Lady Enid, gently folding a
fragment of thin bread and butter and nibbling it with her pretty mouth.

Sir Tiglath elevated his hands and rolled his eyes.

"Where partridges are to be found in January, oh-h-h-h!" was his very
unexpected reply.

The Prophet started violently, and even Lady Enid looked disconcerted
for a moment.

"What do you mean, Sir Tiglath?" she said, recovering herself.

She turned to Mrs. Merillia.

"I wonder what he means," she said. "He never talks sensibly unless
he is in his observatory, or lecturing to the Royal Society on the
'Regularity of Heavenly Bodies,' or--"

"The irregularities of earthly ones," interposed Sir Tiglath. "In the
accursed avenue--oh-h-h!"

"I fear, Sir Tiglath, you must be a member of the Vigilance Society,"
said Mrs. Merillia.

"Yes. He looks at the morals of the stars through his telescope," said
Lady Enid. "By the way--do you, too?" she added to the Prophet, for the
first time observing the instrument in the bow window.

Mrs. Merillia and Sir Tiglath exchanged a glance. An earnest expression
came into the Prophet's face.

"I confess," he said, with becoming modesty in the presence of the
great master of modern astronomy, "that I do watch the heavens from that
window."

"And for what purpose, young man?" rumbled Sir Tiglath, for the first
time dropping his theatrical manner of an old barn-stormer, and speaking
like any ordinary fogey, such as you may see at a meeting on behalf of
the North Pole, or at a dinner of the Odde Volumes.

"For--for purposes of research, Sir Tiglath," answered the Prophet, with
some diplomacy.

"The young man trieth to put off the old astronomer with fair words,"
bellowed Sir Tiglath. "The thief inserteth his thumb into the tail
pocket of the unobservant archbishop for purposes of research. The young
man playeth merrily forsooth with the old astronomer."

Mrs. Merillia nodded her lace cap at him encouragingly. It was evident
that there was an understanding between them. Lady Enid began to wonder
what was its nature. The Prophet seemed rather disconcerted at the
reception given to his not wholly artless ambiguity.

"Grannie," he said, turning to Mrs. Merillia,