if he would be kind enough to step into the drawing-room.

Dr. Staines came in, and bowed to Lady Cicely, and eyed her a little
uncomfortably.

She began, however, in a way that put him quite at his ease. "You
remember the advice you gave us about my little cousin Tadcastah."

"Perfectly: his life is very precarious; he is bilious, consumptive,
and, if not watched, will be epileptical; and he has a fond, weak
mother, who will let him kill himself."

"Exactly: and you wecommended a sea voyage, with a medical attendant to
watch his diet, and contwol his habits. Well, she took other advice, and
the youth is worse; so now she is fwightened, and a month ago she asked
me to pwopose to you to sail about with Tadcastah; and she offered me
a thousand pounds a year. I put on my stiff look, and said, 'Countess,
with every desiah to oblige you, I must decline to cawwy that offah to a
man of genius, learning, and weputation, who has the ball at his feet in
London.'"

"Lord forgive you, Lady Cicely."

"Lord bless her for standing up for my Christie."

Lady Cicely continued: "Now, this good lady, you must know, is not
exactly one of us: the late earl mawwied into cotton, or wool, or
something. So she said, 'Name your price for him.' I shwugged my
shoulders, smiled affably, and as affectedly as you like, and changed
the subject. But since then things have happened. I am afwaid it is my