xcuse for me!

_Miss Seaton._ How can it be any excuse for your coming here? Have you no
pride, DOUGLAS!

_Lord Strath._ My goodness, what is there to be proud about? Why
_shouldn't_ I dine with anybody, provided----?

_Miss Seaton._ Please don't excuse yourself--I can't bear it. You _know_
it is unworthy of you to be here!

_Lord Strath._ I don't indeed. I came here simply as a----

_Miss Seaton._ Don't trouble to tell me--I know _everything_. And--and
you ought to have _died_ rather than descend to this!

_Lord Strath._ Ought I? Died, eh? That never occurred to me; and, after
all, MARJORY, _you_'re here! What's wrong? What have I let myself in for?

_Miss Seaton_ (_bitterly_). What have you let yourself _out_ for, you
mean, don't you?

_Lord Strath._ (_mystified_). _I_ don't know! I believe my man let me
out; and, anyway, what _does_ it matter now I've come? There's dinner
announced. MARJORY, before we're separated, just tell me what on earth
I've done to deserve this sort of thing!

_Miss Seaton_ (_with a little gesture of despair_). Is it possible you
want to be told how _horribly_ you have disappointed me!

[_The couples are forming to go down._

_Lord Strath._ (_stiffly_). I can only say the disappointment is mutual!

[_He moves away, and awaits his hostess's directions._

_Little Gwennie_ (_stealing up to her Governess_). Oh, Miss SEATON,
_haven't_ I been good? I've kept quite quiet in a corner, and I haven't
said a single word to anybody ever since he came. But _what_ nice
Gentlemen BLANKLEY does send, doesn't he?

_Mrs. Tid._ (_on_ Uncle GABRIEL'S _arm_). Oh, I quite forgot _you_,
Lord--ah--STRATHPORRIDGE. As you and Miss SEATON seem to be already
acquainted, perhaps you will have the goodness to take her down? You will
sit on my left--on the fireplace side--and--(_in a whisper_)--the less
you say the better!

_Lord Strath._ I am _quite_ of your opinion. (_To himself._) Can't make
my hostess out, for the life of me--or MARJORY either, if it comes to
that! This is going to be a lively dinner-party, I can see!

[_He gives his arm to_ Miss SEATON, _who accepts it without looking
at him; they go downstairs in constrained silence._

(_End of Scene IV._)

* * * * *

QUEER QUERIES.--CITY IMPROVEMENTS.--How much longer are we to wait for
the widening of the whole of Cheapside, the removal of the Post-Office
Buildings to a more convenient site, and th