"What! you are not going to the ball?" I asked, observing that he
wore only a dinner-coat and a pair of morocco slippers.

"No ball for me. Just as soon as you people hie forth, off comes this
b'iled shirt, and I shall probably meander around the house in my new
silk pajamas. I shall read a little from Homer--Jack, let me have
the key to that locked case; I've an idea that there must be some
robust old, merry old tales hidden there--and smoke a few pipes."

"But you are not going to leave Mrs. Warburton and your sister to
come home without escort?" I expostulated.

"Where the deuce are you two men going?" Robert asked, surprised.
Somehow, I seemed to catch a joyful rather than a sorrowful note in
his tones.

"An important conference at midnight, and heaven only knows how long
it may last," said Jack. "I wish you would go along, Bob."

"He can't go now, anyhow," said the pretty little wife. "He has got
to stay now, whether he will or no. William will see to it that we
women get home all right,"--and she busied herself with the salad
dishes.

Suddenly I caught Robert's eye, and we stared hard at each other.

"Chuck, you old pirate," he said presently, "what do you mean by
coming around and making love to my sister, and getting her to
promise to marry you? You know you aren't good enough for her."