The ten days glided swiftly away: and, the day before the great party was to take place, Arthur proposed that we should stroll down to the Hall, in time for afternoon-tea.

"Hadn't you better go alone?" I suggested. "Surely I shall be very much de trop?"

"Well, it'll be a kind of experiment," he said. "Fiat experimentum in corpore vili!" he added, with a graceful bow of mock politeness towards the unfortunate victim. "You see I shall have to bear the sight, to-morrow night, of my lady-love making herself agreable

⁠I