'Who is Miss Bird?'
'Don't you remember, sir? She came to see me the same morning the Lasalle party came.'
'There are a great many Birds,' said Mr. Falkirk, grumpily, 'and they are not all pigeons.'
'But, my dear Mr. Falkirk, however important such natural history facts may be, they do not exactly meet the case in hand.'
'I don't know whether they meet it or no. Can't you go with
Miss Maryland?'
'Not invited, sir.'
'How would you get back?'
'Mrs. Merrick takes charge of that.'
'And didn't think it necessary to inform you how or when?'
'It is only a small party, sir. I should expect to be back early.'