, finishing his soup, and permitting Mr.
Ferdinand's sleeves to flow down once more over his hands.

"The Stores!" said Mrs. Merillia.

"_O festum dies beatus illa_!" ejaculated Madame, assuming an expression
of profound and almost passionate sentiment. "Happy indeed the good lady
who dwells in the central districts!"

She permitted a gigantic sigh to leave her bosom and to wander freely
among the locks of those at the table. Sir Tiglath, who, on being
assaulted by her learning, had shown momentary symptoms of apoplexy, now
gave a loud grunt, while the Prophet, perceiving that his grandmother
and Lady Julia were quite unequal to the occasion, hastily replied,--

"Yes, Berkeley Square is very convenient in may ways."

"Ah!" said Mr. Sagittarius, keeping a wary eye on Sir Tiglath and
re-addressing himself to Mrs. Merillia, "the Berkeley Square. But if you
lived in the one behind Kimmins's Mews, it would be quite another pair
of boots, would it not, ma'am?"

Lady Julia, who was sitting next to Mr. Sagittarius, shifted her chair
nearer to the Prophet, and whispered, "I'm sure he is dangerous, Mr.
Vivian!" while Mrs. Merillia, in the greatest perplexity, replied,--

"The one behind Mr. Kimmins's Mews?"

"Ay, over against Brigwell's Buildings, just beyond the Pauper Lunatic
Asylum."

Lady Julia turned pale.

"I daresay," answered Mrs. Merillia, bravely. "But I am not acquainted
with the neighbourhood you mention."

"You know the Mouse?"

At this abrupt return to the subject of mice Lady Julia became really
terrified.

"Be frank with me, Mr. Vivian," she whispered to the Prophet, under
cover of boiled salmon; "is he a ratcatcher?"

"Good Heavens, no!" whispered back the Prophet. "He's--he's quite the
contrary."

"But--"

"What mouse?" said Mrs. Merillia, endeavouring to seem pleasantly at
ease, though she, too, was beginning to feel a certain amount of alarm
at these strange beings' persistent discussion of the inhabitants of the
wainscot. "Do you allude to any special mouse?"

"I do, ma'am. I allude to the Mouse that has helped to make Madame and
self what we are."

Sir Tiglath began to roll about in his chair preparatory to some
deliverance, and Mrs. Merillia, casting a somewhat agitated glance at
her grandson, answered,--

"Really. I did not know that anything so small could have so much
influence."

"It may be small, ma'am," said Mr. Sagittarius. "But to a sensitive
nature it often seems giganti