towards the door he was going to his mother. Knowing his little
tricks, I passed my hand under his arm, and tried to steer him away. She
noticed it, however, and interfered.

"Did you wish to speak to me, James?"

"I want to whisper in your ear, mother."

"Pray don't excite yourself, sir," said I, again attempting to detain
him. Lady Saltire arched her aristocratic eyebrows.

"I think, Dr. Munro, that you push your authority rather far when you
venture to interfere between a mother and her son," said she. "What was
it, my poor dear boy?"

Jimmy bent down and whispered something in her ear. The blood rushed
into her pale face, and she sprang from him as if he had struck her.
Jimmy began to snigger.

"This is your doing, Dr. Munro," she cried furiously. "You have
corrupted my son's mind, and encouraged him to insult his mother."

"My dear! My dear!" said her husband soothingly, and I quietly led the
recalcitrant Jimmy upstairs. I asked him what it was that he had said to
his mother, but got only chuckles in reply.

I had a presentiment that I should hear more of the matter; and I was
not wrong. Lord Saltire called me into his study in the evening.

"The fact is, doctor," said he, "that Lady Saltire has been extremely
annoyed and grieved about what occurred at lunch to-day. Of course, you
can imagine that such an expression coming from her own son, shocked her
more than I can tell."

"I assure you, Lord Saltire," said I, "that I have no idea at all what
passed between Lady Saltire and my patient."

"Well," said he, "without going into details, I may say that what he
whispered was a blasphemous wish, most coarsely expressed, as to the
future of that Upper House to which I have the honor to belong."

"I am very sorry," said I, "and I assure you that I have never
encouraged him in his extreme political views, which seem to me to be
symptoms of his disease."

"I am quite convinced that what you say is true," he answered; "but Lady
Saltire is unhappily of the opinion that you have instilled these ideas
into him. You know that it is a little difficult sometimes to reason
with a lady. However, I have no doubt that all may be smoothed over if
you would see Lady Saltire and assure her that she has misunderstood
your views upon this point, and that you are personally a supporter of a
Hereditary Chamber."

It put me in a tight corner, Bertie; but my mind was instantly made up.
From the first word I had read my dismi