read and cheese,
nothing has passed my lips since dinner last night."

"Then you will be glad to hear that the Winters are punctual people," I
remarked as we at once set out for my neighbour's house.

"I suppose," he said, as we reached our destination, "I may count upon
you not referring to the plight in which I returned to your place? I
should not care for it to get abroad that the Pirate had got the better
of me on the first occasion of our meeting."

"Then you have seen him?" I cried eagerly.

"Seen him!" Forrest ejaculated in reply. "Seen him! After dinner you
shall have a full, true and particular account of all that's happened.
Until then--well, assume you know everything but are not at liberty to
divulge anything."

I was as much at home in Winter's house as in my own, so I did not
trouble to ring and Forrest followed me in. I had forgotten that his
appearance was likely to create as great a sensation there as it had
caused me. I entered the drawing-room first, Forrest being a little
behind. Mrs. Winter, a fluffy-haired little woman with blue baby eyes,
baby lips, and a most engaging little baby dimple, was the centre of the
party gathered there. The other women were Miss Maitland and Mrs.
Winter's twin sister, who reproduced the hair, lips, eyes and dimple
with such exactness that it was always a puzzle to me how Winter had
managed to make up his mind between them. About them were gathered
Colonel Maitland, Mannering, Winter himself, and another man whom he had
brought down with him from town that day. The subject of conversation, I
learned afterwards, had been entirely devoted to Forrest's
disappearance, and when they caught sight of him the effect was
electrical. The ladies all jumped to their feet, the twin sisters
screamed in unison, the men stood stock still. Mannering appeared to be
the most astonished, for he turned pale and his lips became livid.
Before any one could say a word, however, the door opened again and the
butler announced dinner in an impassive voice, which sent everybody into
convulsions of laughter.

We filed into dinner a particularly merry party. Mrs. Winter had
arranged for me to take in Miss Maitland, and the fact that Mannering
obviously resented the arrangement added a great deal to my good humour.
The fact of Forrest being the lion of the evening did not disturb me at
all. Indeed I was glad some one else had to parry the numberless
questions put to him respecting his disappea