waiting some time. They say that their appointment was at one o'clock,
and they wish to go back to Lord's.'

'So do I,' thought Merton sadly. He looked at the cards, repressed a
whistle, and handed them silently to Miss Crofton, bidding the boy go,
and return in three minutes.

Miss Crofton uttered a little shriek, and pressed the cards on Julia's
attention. Raising her veil, Julia scanned them, wrung her hands, and
displayed symptoms of a tendency to faint. The cards bore the names of
the Rev. Mr. Bathe, the Rev. Mr. Brooke, and the Rev. Mr. Clancy.

'What is to be done?' asked Miss Crofton in a whisper. 'Can't you send
them away?'

'Impossible,' said Merton firmly.

'If we go out they will know me, and suspect Julia.'

Miss Crofton looked round the room with eyes of desperate scrutiny. They
at once fell on a large old-fashioned screen, covered with engravings,
which Merton had picked up for the sake of two or three old mezzotints,
barbarously pasted on to this article of furniture by some ignorant
owner.

'Saved! we are saved! Hist, Julia, hither!' said Miss Crofton in a stage
whisper. And while Merton murmured 'Highly unprofessional,' the skirts
of the two ladies vanished behind the screen.

Miss Crofton had not played Lady Teazle for nothing.