m Sir
Stafford. And then, you know, with a Russian, one cannot be too guarded.
Don't you agree with me? Well, never mind, you 'll perhaps come round to
my opinion later. But here comes the Prince, and it will be as well you
should retire, dearest. I'll see you in your dressing-room, and tell you
everything."

And with this assurance Kate retired, with a head and heart as full as
ever young lady's felt.

Kate was hastening to her room, when a short, quick step behind her made
her turn round, and she saw Purvis endeavoring to overtake her.

"Oh! I have you at last," said he, puffing for breath; "and what a
ch-chase I 've had for it! I 've been in five rooms already, and nearly
had a f-f-fight with that Frenchwoman of Lady Hester's. She 's a regular
T-T-Tartar, she is, and almost boxed my ears for looking into a small
case where my Lady's r-ringlets are kept ha! ha! ha! I saw them, though,
two long and two short, and a pl-pl-plait for the back of the head. How
she m-m-makes up at night!"

"I must say that you have the strangest mode of requiting hospitality,"
said Kate, haughtily.

"It 's all very well to talk of hospi-hospi-hospi--" Here a fit of gaping
brought on coughing, which, after a violent struggle, ended in the
forced utterance of the last syllable of the word, but with such fatigue
and exhaustion that he seemed scarcely able to continue; at last,
however, he did resume. "It's all very well to talk of that, but we got
in here by our own cl-cl-cleverness; at least by Zoe's."

"Less good-natured persons would find another word for it, Mr. Purvis."

"So they would. Haggerstone called it a Ricketty stratagem. No
matter; we 're in ha! ha! ha! and he 's out. The pr-pr-proof of the
pu-pu-pudding--"

"Will you excuse me, sir, if I say I must leave you?"

"Don't go, don't go; I've something very important to to tell you.
And first, Zoe my sister Zoe wants to see you. The cook has been
most im-im-impertinent to her. She says it was ginger she put in the
maca-maca-roni, instead of P-P--Parmesan; all his truffles are only
Piedmontese. That is n't all: don't be in such a h-hurry. They 've
changed the wine, too. We had Ch-Ch-Chambertin yesterday, and they 've
given us P-Pomard to-day. How is that to be borne?"

"I really see but one remedy for it, sir," said Kate, scornfully.

"So Zoe said; that 's exactly her opinion. They must be sent away. Zoe
knows a very ti-ti-tidy cook. He 's not a a top-sawyer, you know, but