dinand! Mr. Ferdinand, take
your face from the wall, if you please. There is no cause for alarm.
Now, Fancy--now!"

For Mrs. Fancy had, as usual, broken into tears on learning the
reassuring truth, and was now displaying every symptom of distress and
enervation. The Prophet, unable to calm her, was obliged to assist her
upstairs and place her upon the landing, where he hurriedly left her
uttering broken moans and murmurs, and repeating again and again her
statement of affairs and assertion of inability to conceal the revealed
obvious. On his return he found Madame, Mr. Sagittarius and Mr.
Ferdinand grouped statuesquely in the hall as if to represent
"Perturbation."

"Mr. Ferdinand," he said rather severely, "I did not expect this conduct
of you, shrinking from guests in this extraordinary manner. A butler who
shows terror at the sight of visitors does not conduce to the popularity
of his employers."

"I beg pardon, sir. I was not prepared."

"Please be prepared another time. You will serve dinner for three
to-night, very quietly, in the inner dining-room. I do not wish Mrs.
Merillia to be disturbed in her illness, and--"

"If you please, sir, Mrs. Merillia feels herself so much better that she
is coming down to dinner to-night."

"Coming down to dinner!" said the Prophet, aghast.

"Yes, sir. And she has asked in Sir Tiglath Butt and the Lady Julia
Postlethwaite to join her. I was about to show Mrs. Merillia the menu,
sir, when--"

"Good Heavens! Merciful Powers!" ejaculated the Prophet.

"Sir?"

"What on earth is to be done?" continued the Prophet, lost for the
moment to all sense of propriety.

Mr. Ferdinand looked at the old and valued friends.

"I can't say, sir, I'm sure," he replied, pursing up his lips.

"What is the meaning--" began Mr. Sagittarius.

"I'm not aware that--" started Madame.

The Prophet darted to the library door and opened it.

"Pray, pray come in here," he hissed. "My grandmother! Softly!"

"But the old la--"

"Hush, please!"

"I must remark, Mr. Viv--"

"Tsh! Tsh! Mr. Ferdinand, wait in the hall. I shall want to speak to you
in a moment."

"Yes, sir."

The Prophet closed the door and turned to this indignant visitors.

"This is terrible," he said. "Terrible!"

"Pray why?" cried Madame.

"Why," cried the Prophet, "why?"

He sought frantically for some excuse. Suddenly a bright idea occurred
to him.

"Why," he said, impressively. "Because Sir Tiglath Butt, the