[_An awful hush ensues, during which Mr. Robinson, finding himself regarded as a criminal, suddenly slips away, leaving the company to extricate themselves from their trying situation as best they can. The hush is followed by a Babel of voices, in which all sorts of suggestions are made._] _Mr. J._ (_with heroic and renunciatory self-denial_) Let me speak, please, Mrs. Thompson. It was very kind in your husband to invite me to remain to dinner, but now that I shall be the thirteenth, I am sure you'll excuse me. _Mr. T._ But it seems so inhospitable. _Mrs. T._ But it is more generous to deprive ourselves of Mr. Jones's company than to be the means of bringing ill-luck upon him. _Mr. J._ Quite right. I bid you good evening, Mrs. Thompson. I sincerely hope nothing further will occur to mar the pleasure of your evening. [_Mr. Jones having retired, a move is at once made toward the dining-room, but just as Mr. Thompson and Mrs. Brown reach the drawing-room door, they are confronted by Mr. Robinson, who comes in breathless but triumphant._] _Mr. R._ I thought it was so unkind of me to throw all your arrangements into confusion after the ill-luck of numbers you have already had, that I concluded to telegraph to my brother instead of going. Phew! How I have hurried! I am glad I am in time. _Mrs. Brown._ Mr. Thompson, I positively cannot sit down at table with thirteen. My aunt died of it, and my second cousin. I am positive it runs in the family, and I know I should be the one to bear the consequence if we had thirteen at any table where I sat down. [_The greatest confusion follows. Miss Maria Smith is heard to declare that_ "Fate takes delight in persecuting her!" _while young Algernon White mumbles something which has a distinct flavor of the Apostles' Creed. Mr. Robinson shows a disposition to consider himself a most ill-used individual, thus to be rewarded for the trouble he has taken._] _Mr. T._ My dear, what shall we do now? _Mrs. T._ There is only one thing that I can think of; we can send across the street for Widow Ellis. You might go yourself and explain to her how it is.