and vanished.

"He doesn't understand in the least," remarked Lady Ragnall, "but so
long as he doesn't show the Atterby-Smiths up here, in which case he can
go away with them on Monday, I don't care. It will all work out somehow.
Now sit down by the fire and let's talk. We've got nearly an hour and
twenty minutes and you can smoke if you like. I learnt to in Egypt," and
she took a cigarette from the mantelpiece and lit it.

That hour and twenty minutes went like a flash, for we had so much to
say to each other that we never even got to the things we wanted to say.
For instance, I began to tell her about King Solomon's Mines, which was
a long story; and she to tell me what happened after we parted on the
shores of the Red Sea. At least the first hour and a quarter went,
when suddenly the door opened and Alfred in a somewhat frightened voice
announced--"Mr. and Mrs. Atterby-Smith, the Misses Atterby-Smith and Mr.
Atterby-Smith junior."

Then he caught sight of his mistress's eye and fled.

I looked and felt inclined to do likewise if only there had been another
door. But there wasn't and that which existed was quite full. In the
forefront came A.-S. senior, like a bull leading the herd. Indeed his
appearance was bull-like as my eye, travelling from the expanse of white
shirt-front (they were all dressed for dinner) to his red and massive
countenance surmounted by two horn-like tufts of carroty hair, informed
me at a glance. Followed Mrs. A.-S., the British matron incarnate.
Literally there seemed to be acres of her; black silk below and white
skin above on which set in filigree floated big green stones, like
islands in an ocean. Her countenance too, though stupid was very stern
and frightened me. Followed the progeny of this formidable pair. They
were tall and thin, also red haired. The girls, whose age I could not
guess in the least, were exactly like each other, which was not strange
as afterwards I discovered that they were twins. They had pale blue eyes
and somehow reminded me of fish. Both of them were dressed in green and
wore topaz necklaces. The young man who seemed to be about one or
two and twenty, had also pale blue eyes, in one of which he wore an
eye-glass, but his hair was sandy as though it had been bleached, parted
in the middle and oiled down flat.

For a moment there was a silence which I felt to be dreadful. Then in a
big, pompous voice A.-S. _pere_ said,

"How do you do, my dear Luna? As I ascer