mustn't say too much about your own impending doom either,
because that will give things away too much to the audience."

After several minutes of painful brain-searching, Cassandra smiled
reassuringly.

"I know. I'll predict a long and happy reign for George the Fifth."

"My dear girl," protested Clovis, "have you reflected that Cassandra
specialized in foretelling calamities?"

There was another prolonged pause and another triumphant issue.

"I know. I'll foretell a most disastrous season for the foxhounds."

"On no account," entreated Clovis; "do remember that all Cassandra's
predictions came true. The M.F.H. and the Hunt Secretary are both
awfully superstitious, and they are both going to be present."

Cassandra retreated hastily to her bedroom to bathe her eyes before
appearing at tea.

The Baroness and Clovis were by this time scarcely on speaking terms.
Each sincerely wished their respective role to be the pivot round which
the entire production should revolve, and each lost no opportunity for
furthering the cause they had at heart. As fast as Clovis introduced
some effective bit of business for the charioteer (and he introduced a
great many), the Baroness would remorselessly cut it out, or more often
dovetail it into her own part, while Clovis retaliated in a similar
fashion whenever possible. The climax came when Clytemnestra annexed
some highly complimentary lines, which were to have been addressed to
the charioteer by a bevy of admiring Greek damsels, and put them into
the mouth of her lover. Clovis stood by in apparent unconcern while
the words:

"Oh, lovely stripling, radiant as the dawn," were transposed into:

"Oh, Clytemnestra, radiant as the dawn," but there was a dangerous
glitter in his eye that might have given the Baroness warning. He had
composed the verse himself, inspired and thoroughly carried away by his
subject; he suffered, therefore, a double pang in beholding his tribute
deflected from its destined object, and his words mutilated and twisted
into what became an extravagant panegyric on the Baroness's personal
charms. It was from this moment that he became gentle and assiduous in
his private coaching of Cassandra.

The County, forgetting its dissensions, mustered in full strength to
witness the much-talked-of production. The protective Providence that
looks after little children and amateur theatricals made good its
traditional promise that everything should be right on t