“They here! Why, how did they find us out?”
“Joshua found them and brought them here, else they never would have found us out. And yet people say that dogs have no souls!”
Mr. Force hurried to meet the friends from St. Mary’s, and warmly shook hands with them all.
“We are so sorry to hear that Mrs. Force is indisposed,” said Mrs. Hedge, when these greetings were over.
“She has had a severe nervous shock. Such strokes must be epidemic among those who live amid ‘war’s alarms,’ you know, Mrs. Hedge.”
“Yes, of course. But all war’s alarms are not disastrous. What a glorious deed young Leonidas Force has done! I congratulate you on your nephew, Mr. Force.”
“Thank you, madam. Will you take my arm down to dinner? There is the gong.”
The whole party arose and went down into the dining room and took their places at the table; the party filled up a large one.
After dinner they returned to the drawing room for a little while, and then the visitors from St. Mary’s bade good-night, and—accompanied by Capt. Grandiere and Rosemary Hedge—went away to take possession of their rooms at a boarding house that had been found for them in E Street.
Mr. Force and Lord Enderby lighted a couple of cigars and walked out on the bright and busy avenue to smoke and stroll. Between the gas lamps and the illuminated shop windows the scene was almost as light as day, and, with its crowd of pedestrians, as noisy as a fair.