His consternation, when they told him, was so great, that Jasper racked
his brains some way to avoid the meeting.

"If once we were at Bayreuth, it's possible that we might not come
across them, father, for we could easily be lost in the crowd."

"No such good luck," groaned old Mr. King, which was proved true. For
the first persons who walked into the hotel, as the manager was giving
directions that the rooms reserved for their party should be shown
them, were Mrs. Vanderburgh and her daughter.

"Oh!" exclaimed Mrs. Vanderburgh, as if her dearest friends were before
her, "how glad I am to see you again, dear Mr. King, and you all." She
swept Mrs. Fisher and Mrs. Henderson lightly in her glance as if
toleration only were to be observed toward them. "We have been
perfectly _désolée_ without you, Polly, my dear," she went on,
with a charming smile. "Fanny will be happy once more. She has been
disconsolate ever since we parted, I assure you."

Polly made some sort of a reply, and greeted Fanny, as of old times, on
the steamer; but Mrs. Vanderburgh went on, all smiles and eagerness--so
rapidly in her friendly intentions, that it boded ill for the future
peace of Mr. King's party. So Mr. King broke into the torrent of words
at once, without any more scruple. "And now, Mrs. Vanderburgh, if you
will excuse us, we are quite tired, and are going to our rooms." And he
bowed himself off, and of course his family followed; the next moment
Fanny and her mother were alone.

"If this is to be the way," said Mrs. Vanderburgh, with a savage little
laugh, "we might much better have stayed in Paris, for I never should