l probably arrive
every hour from now till the offices close?"

"Grannie, grannie, forgive me! I assure you--"

"Don't be afraid to tell me, Hennessey. It is much better to know
the worst, and fact it bravely. Will the present average be merely
sustained, or do you expect the quantity to increase towards night?
because if so--"

"Grannie, there will be no more. I swear to you solemnly that I will
not have another telegram to-day. I will not upon my sacred honour.
Nothing--not wild horses even--shall induce me."

"Horses! Then were they racing tips, Hennessey? Yes, give me the _eau de
Cologne_ and fan me gently. Were they racing tips?"

"Oh, grannie, how could you suppose--"

At this moment Mr. Ferdinand entered softly and went up to Mrs.
Merillia.

"Mr. Q. Elisha Hubsbee, ma'am. He is deeply distressed and asks for news
. . ."

"The Central American Ambassador's grandfather," said Mrs. Merillia,
reading the card which Mr. Ferdinand handed to her.

"Shocked to hear you are so ill that a knock will finish you. Guess
you must be far gone. Earnest sympathy. Have you tried patent morphia
molasses?

"Q. E. H."

"Ah! how things get about! Tell Mr. Elisha Hubsbee the knocks have
nearly killed us all, Mr. Ferdinand, but we are bearing up as well as
can be expected. If necessary we will certainly try the molasses."

"Yes, ma'am."

"It is two o'clock now, Hennessey. The Charing Cross office is open till
midnight, I believe, so at the present rate you should only have about
ninety more telegrams to-day. But if you have reason to expect--"

Mr. Ferdinand re-entered.

"Mrs. Hendrick Marshall has called, ma'am. She desired me to say she was
passing the door and was much horrified to find that you are so near the
point, ma'am."

"What point, Mr. Ferdinand?"

"Of death, ma'am. She had no idea at all, ma'am."

"Oh, thank Mrs. Hendrick Marshall, Mr. Ferdinand, and say we shall try
to keep from the point for the present.

"Yes, ma'am."

"--That the numbers will go up as the afternoon draws on, Hennessey--"

"Grannie, haven't I sworn, and have you ever known me to tell you a--"

Suddenly the Prophet stopped short, thinking how that very night he
would be forced by his oath to "Madame and self" to break his promise
to his grandmother, how already it would have been broken had not Mr.
Ferdinand on the previous night been in possession of the telescope.

"The Chancellor of the Exchequer, ma'am, desires his comp