y.

Mr. Sagittarius gazed about him with awe-struck amazement, but Madame
was equal to the occasion. She cast the rabbit-skins imperially to a
neighbouring flunkey, arranged her hair and fichu before a glass, kicked
out her skirt with the heel of one of the kid boots, nipped the green
chiffon into prominence with decisive fingers, and then, turning to the
Prophet with all the majesty of a suburban empress, said in a powerful
voice,--

"Step forward, I beg. _J'ai pret_."

The Prophet, thus encouraged, stepped forward towards an aperture
that on ordinary days contained a door, but that now contained a stout
elderly lady, with henna-dyed hair, a powdered face, black eyebrows and
a yellow gown, on which rested a large number of jewelled ornaments that
looked like small bombs. At this lady's elbow stood a footman with an
exceedingly powerful bass voice, who shouted the names of approaching
guests in a manner so uncompromising as to be terrific. Each time he so
shouted the stout lady first started and then smiled, the two operations
succeeding one another with almost inconceivable rapidity and violence.

"What name, sir?" asked the footman of the Prophet, bending his powdered
head till it was only about six feet two inches from the floor.

"Mr. Hennessey Vivian," replied the Prophet, hesitating as to what he
should add.

"Mr. Hemmerspeed Vivian!" roared the footman. "What name, Madame?" (to
Madame Sagittarius).

"Mr. and Madame Sagittarius of Sagittarius Lodge, the Mouse!" replied
the lady majestically.

"Mr.--and Madame--Segerteribus--of--Segerteribus--Lodge, the Mouse!"
bawled the footman.

The stout lady, who was Mrs. Vane Bridgeman, started and smiled.

"Delighted to see you, Mr. Segerteribus!" she said to the Prophet.

The Prophet hastened to explain through the uproar of twenty guitars.

"Mr. Vivian is my name. I think Miss Minerva Partridge--"

Mrs. Bridgeman started and smiled.

"Of course," she exclaimed. "Of course. You are to be kind enough to
introduce me some day to Mr. Sagi--Sagi--something or other, and I am
to introduce him to Sir Tiglath Butt, when Sir Tiglath Butt has
been introduced to me by dear Miss Partridge. It is all to work out
beautifully. Yes, yes! Charming! charming!"

"I have ventured to bring Mr. and Madame Sagittarius with me to-night,"
said the Prophet.

Mrs. Bridgeman started and smiled.

"They are my old and valued friends, and--and here they are."

"Delighted! delighte