There was a silence, and then like far-off thunder a slow meditative snore. It was not an object of beauty or dignity that they looked upon.
"In one second I shall laugh," asserted Jenny, still in a cautious whisper.
"I think we'd better—" began Jack; and stopped petrified, to see one vindictive-looking eye opened and regarding him, it seemed, with an expression of extraordinary malignity. Then the other eye opened, the mouth abruptly closed and Lord Talgarth sat up.
"God bless my soul!"
He rolled his eyes about a moment while intelligence came back.
"You needn't be ashamed of it," said Jenny. "Mr. Jack Kirkby caught me at it, too, half an hour ago."
His lordship's senses had not even now quite returned. He still stared at them innocently like a child, cleared his throat once or twice, and finally stood up.
"Jack Kirkby, so it is! How do, Jack? And Jenny?
"That's who we are," said Jenny. "Are you sure you're quite recovered?"
"Recovered! Eh—!" (He emitted a short laugh.) "Sit down. There's chairs somewhere."