“Oh, Julia, you were a lady in waiting to Her Majesty, you were kissed by the great Duke—tell me—tell me what it all means!”
“Victoria,” replied Lady Julia, “it means that your grandson has fallen into the clutches of a dangerous and determined ratcatcher.”
And then the two old ladies mingled their damask skirts and their lace caps and wept.
CHAPTER XVIII
THE SILLY LIFE
“Call a cab for Sir Tiglath, Mr. Ferdinand,” whispered the Prophet—“a four-wheeler with a lame horse. I’ll take both Mr. and Madame Sagittarius in the brougham.”
“Must the horse be lame, sir?”
“Yes. I absolutely decline to encourage the practice of using good horses in four-wheeled cabs. It’s a disgrace to the poor animals. It must be a very lame horse.”
“Yes, sir.”