he sacred heavens.
My cloak!"

The last words were bellowed at Gustavus, who rushed forward with Sir
Tiglath's Inverness.

The Prophet lowed his head, and metaphorically, threw up the sponge.

"Lady Julia," said Mrs. Merillia, in a soft voice that slightly
trembled, "let us go upstairs."

The two old ladies bowed with tearful dignity, and retired with a sort
of gentle majesty that cut the Prophet to the heart.

"One moment, if you please!" he said to his guests.

And he darted out of the room and leaped up the stairs. He found Mrs.
Merillia and Lady Julia just about to dispose themselves side by
side upon a sofa near the fire. They turned and looked at him with
reproachful doves' eyes.

"Grannie--Lady Julia!" he exclaimed, "I implore your forgiveness. Pardon
me! Appearances are against me, I know. But some day you may understand
how I am placed. My position is--my--my situation--I--you--do not wholly
condemn me! Wait--wait a few days, I implore you!"

He rushed out of the room.

The two old ladies seated themselves upon the sofa, and tremblingly
spread abroad their damask skirts. They looked at each other in silence,
shaking their elegant heads. Then Mrs. Merillia said, in a fluttering
voice,--

"Oh, Julia, you were a lady in waiting to Her Majesty, you were kissed
by the great Duke--tell me--tell me what it all means!"

"Victoria," replied Lady Julia, "it means that your grandson has fallen
into the clutches of a dangerous and determined ratcatcher."

And then the two old ladies mingled their damask skirts and their lace
caps and wept.

CHAPTER XVIII

THE SILLY LIFE

"Call a cab for Sir Tiglath, Mr. Ferdinand," whispered the Prophet--"a
four-wheeler with a lame horse. I'll take both Mr. and Madame
Sagittarius in the brougham."

"Must the horse be lame, sir?"

"Yes. I absolutely decline to encourage the practice of using good
horses in four-wheeled cabs. It's a disgrace to the poor animals. It
must be a very lame horse."

"Yes, sir."

And Mr. Ferdinand, standing upon the doorstep, whistled to the night.

Strange to say, in about two minutes there appeared round the corner
the very same cabman who had conveyed the Prophet and Lady Enid to the
astronomer's on the previous day, driving the very same horse.

"This horse will do admirably," said the Prophet to Mr. Ferdinand.

"He isn't lame, sir."

"P'r'aps not; but he knows how to tumble down. Sir Tiglath, here is a
cab for you. We shall