ter I had tasted it that I had what just now I called my
awakening, and began to think about Africa."

"Have you ever seen these men again, Miss Holmes?"

"No, never."

At this moment I heard Lady Longden say, in a severe voice:

"My dear Luna, I am sorry to interrupt your absorbing conversation, but
we are all waiting for you."

So they were, for to my horror I saw that everyone was standing up
except ourselves.

Miss Holmes departed in a hurry, while Scroope whispered in my ear with
a snigger:

"I say, Allan, if you carry on like that with his young lady, his
lordship will be growing jealous of you."

"Don't be a fool," I said sharply. But there was something in his
remark, for as Lord Ragnall passed on his way to the other end of the
table, he said in a low voice and with rather a forced smile:

"Well, Quatermain, I hope your dinner has not been as dull as mine,
although your appetite seemed so poor."

Then I reflected that I could not remember having eaten a thing since
the first entree. So overcome was I that, rejecting all Scroope's
attempts at conversation, I sat silent, drinking port and filling up
with dates, until not long afterwards we went into the drawing-room,
where I sat down as far from Miss Holmes as possible, and looked at a
book of views of Jerusalem.

While I was thus engaged, Lord Ragnall, pitying my lonely condition, or
being instigated thereto by Miss Holmes, I know not which, came up and
began to chat with me about African big-game shooting. Also he asked me
what was my permanent address in that country. I told him Durban, and in
my turn asked why he wanted to know.

"Because Miss Holmes seems quite crazy about the place, and I expect I
shall be dragged out there one day," he replied, quite gloomily. It was
a prophetic remark.

At this moment our conversation was interrupted by Lady Longden, who
came to bid her future son-in-law good night. She said that she must go
to bed, and put her feet in mustard and water as her cold was so bad,
which left me wondering whether she meant to carry out this operation
in bed. I recommended her to take quinine, a suggestion she acknowledged
rather inconsequently by remarking in somewhat icy tones that she
supposed I sat up to all hours of the night in Africa. I replied that
frequently I did, waiting for the sun to rise next day, for that member
of the British aristocracy irritated me.

Thus we parted, and I never saw her again. She died many ye