"A little more smoke will not make any difference in this room, Ma."

"That is true, darling," said Mrs. A.-S. and was straightway seized
with a fit of asthma.

After this I am sure I don't know what happened, for muttering
something about its being time to dress, I rushed from the room and
wandered about until I could find someone to conduct me to my own
where I lingered until I heard the dinner-bell ring. But even this
retreat was not without disaster, for in my hurry I trod upon one of
the young lady's dresses; I don't know whether it was Dolly's or
Polly's (they were named Dolly and Polly) and heard a dreadful crack
about her middle as though she were breaking in two. Thereon Archibald
giggled again and Dolly and Polly remarked with one voice--they always
spoke together,

"Oh! clumsy!"

To complete my misfortunes I missed my way going downstairs and
strayed to and fro like a lost lamb until I found myself confronted by
a green baize door which reminded me of something. I stood staring at
it till suddenly a vision arose before me of myself following a bell
wire through that very door in the darkness of the night when in
search for the late Mr. Savage upon a certain urgent occasion. Yes,
there could be no doubt about it, for look! there was the wire, and
strange it seemed to me that I should live to behold it again.
Curiosity led me to push the door open just to ascertain if my memory
served me aright about the exact locality of the room. Next moment I
regretted it for I fell straight into the arms of either Polly or