ith a nod in the direction of the dining-room; and
I wished with all my heart that he wasn't.

'In there?' cried the bishop's wife. 'Brosy, do you hear? How very
delightful. Let us go to him at once.' And she rustled into the room,
followed by Brosy and myself. 'You go first, dear Frau X.,' she turned
round to say, daunted by the clouds of smoke, and all the chairs and
people who had to be got out of the way; for by this time the tourists
had finished dining, and had pushed their chairs out into the room to
talk together more conveniently, and the room was dim with smoke. 'You
know where he is. I can't tell you how charmed I am; really most
fortunate. He seems to be with an English friend,' she added, for the
revellers, having paused in their din to stare at us, the Professor's
cheery voice was distinctly heard inquiring in English of some person or
persons unseen whether they knew the difference between a canary and a
grand piano.

'Always in such genial spirits,' murmured Mrs. Harvey-Browne
rapturously.

Here there was a great obstruction, a group of people blocking the
passage down the room and having to be got out of the way before we
could pass; and when the scraping of their chairs and their grumbles had
ceased we caught the Professor's conversation a little farther on. He
was saying, 'I cannot in that case, my dear young lady, caution you with
a sufficient earnestness to be of an extreme care when purchasing a
grand piano----'

'I don't ever think of doing such a thing,' interrupted a shrill female
voice, at whose sound Mrs. Harvey-Browne made an exclamation.

'Tut, tut. I am putting a case. Suppose you wished to purchase a grand
piano, and did not know, as you say you do not, the difference between
it----'

'I shan't wish, though. I'd be a nice silly to.'

'Nay, but suppose you did wish----'

'What's the good of supposing silly things like that? You _are_ a funny
old man.'

'Andrews?' said Mrs. Harvey-Browne, at this point emerging on the
absorbed couple, and speaking with a languid gentleness that curled
slightly upwards into an interrogation at the end.

Andrews, whose face had been overspread by the expression that
accompanies titters, started to her feet and froze before our eyes into
the dumb passivity of the decent maid. The Professor hardly gave himself
time to bow and kiss Mrs. Harvey-Browne's hand before he poured forth
his pleasure that this charming young lady should be of her party. 'You