ly endeavoured to
account for the missing cream.

'_Wasn't_ it?' said Mrs. Harvey-Browne, much pleased with the effect of
her story. Indeed the amiability awakened in her bosom by the grey felt
slippers had increased rapidly, and the unaccountable conduct of the
cream seemed about to cement our friendship when, at this point, she
having remarked that there are more things in heaven and earth than are
dreamt of in our philosophy, and I, in order to show my acquaintance
with the classics of other countries, having added 'As Chaucer justly
observes,' to which she said, 'Ah, yes--so beautiful, isn't he?' a voice
behind us made us both jump; and turning round we beheld, at our elbows,
the man in spectacles. Ambrose, aided by the guide, was on the other
side of the room studying the works of Kolbe and Eybel, The man in
spectacles had evidently heard the whole story of the cat, for this is
what he said:--

'The apparition, madam, if it has any meaning at all, which I doubt,
being myself inclined to locate its origin in the faulty digestion of
the lady, seems to point to a life beyond the grave for the spirits of
cats. Considered as a proof of such a life for the human soul, which is
the one claim to our interest phenomena of the kind can possess, it is,
of course, valueless.'

Mrs. Harvey-Browne stared at him a moment through her eyeglasses.
'Christians,' she then said distantly, 'need no further proof of that.'

'May I ask, madam, what, precisely, you mean by Christians?' inquired
the man in spectacles briskly. 'Define them, if you please.'

Now the bishop's wife was not used to being asked to define things, and
disliked it as much as anybody else. Besides, though rays of intelligent
interest darted through his spectacles, the wearer of them also wore
clothes that were not only old but peculiar, and his whole appearance
cried aloud of much work and small reward. She therefore looked not only
helpless but indignant. 'Sir,' she said icily, 'this is not the moment
to define Christians.'

'I hear the name repeatedly,' said the man in spectacles, bowing but
undaunted; 'and looking round me I ask myself where are they?'

'Sir,' said Mrs. Harvey-Browne, 'they are in every Christian country.'

'And which, pray, madam, would you call the Christian countries? I look
around me, and I see nations armed to the teeth, ready and sometimes
even anxious to fly at each other's throats. Their attitude may be
patriotic, virile, perhaps