"Gone!" he exclaimed. "You may well be surprised," said his great-aunt, "but such is the case." "But where has she gone?" "That I do not know; she left without consulting me, and against my advice and wishes." "Did she go alone?" "She went," replied her ladyship, "with one of the most insolent persons it has ever been my misfortune to meet. He is owner of that!" And she pointed to the elephant. "But who is he?" demanded Scarsdale, not recognising, from her description, his friend the Consul. "He disgraces," she continued, "a public office given him by a foreign Government." "You are surely not talking about Allingford!" he exclaimed. "That, I believe, is his name," replied Lady Melton. "What, my husband!" cried the Consul's wife, who up to this point had kept silence. "You dare to call my husband a disgrace----!" Here Mrs. Allingford became dumb with indignation. "If he is your husband," returned her ladyship, "I am exceedingly sorry for you. As for 'daring' to apply to him any epithet I please, I consider myself fully justified in so doing after the indignity to which he has condemned me. I am glad, however, to have met you, as I am thus enabled to return you your husband's property, with the request that you take your elephant and leave my grounds as quickly as possible." "Do you mean to say that my husband owns that monster?" gasped Mrs. Allingford. "Such is the case," replied Lady Melton, "and I leave it in your hands. St. Hubart, I trust _you_ will join me at breakfast as soon as another can be prepared." "Excuse me," he said apologetically, "but really, you know, I can't leave Mrs. Allingford in the lurch. Besides, I must follow my wife." His great-aunt faced round in a fury. "That is sufficient!" she cried. "Leave my presence at once! I never desire to see either of you again." "Don't let us part as enemies, aunt," he said, offering her his hand; but she swept past him into the house. Scarsdale gloomily watched her depart, and then became conscious of a hand laid on his arm. "I am so sorry!" murmured Mrs. Allingford. "I only seem to bring you trouble." "Oh, you mustn't feel badly about this," he said. "We have quarrelled ever since I was born. I'm much more worried about you." "What am I going to do with it?" she exclaimed, looking hopelessly at her husband's property as it stood rocking before her. "The first thing is to get it off the place," replied Scarsdale, assuming a cheerfulness which he did not feel. "We may find its keepers at the lodge, and we can make our plans as we walk along." "Come on, Jehoshaphat, or whatever you may happen to be called!" he cried, addressing the elephant, and at the same time grasping the rope bridle which still dangled from its neck; and the beast, recognising a kindred spirit speaking to him in his native tongue, followed docilely where he led.