"Tired of all this frivolity, I suppose, and gone home like a sensible man. He does not drink whiskey." "Oh, dear," said the doctor, "I'll never take another drop if you talk to me like this, but poison myself with liquor-ammoniae instead." "Liquor what, sir?" "Ammonias, my dear, sal-volatile as you call it when you require a stimulus. Well, Grey, my child, we are to take you home." "So soon, Dr Bolter?" said the Inche Maida, by whose side Grey was seated. "I think it quite late enough, Princess," said Mrs Bolter, austerely. "Have you seen my brother?" "Yes, I saw him following Miss Perowne down the walk," said the Princess, quietly enjoying Mrs Bolter's start. "I suppose it is pleasanter and cooler in the dark parts of the garden." "My brother is fond of meditation," said Mrs Bolter, quietly; and she looked very fixedly in the Princess's eyes. "Yes, I suppose so; and night is so pleasant a time for thought," retorted the Princess. "You must come with your brother and the doctor, and stay with me, Mrs Bolter." "Thank you, madam," replied the little lady. "Never, if I know it," she said to herself. "I suppose it is late to English views?" said the Princess, smiling. "Good-bye, then, dear Miss Stuart. I will try and persuade papa to bring you to stay with me in my savage home. You really would come if he consented?" "Indeed I should like it," said Grey, quickly, as she looked frankly in the Princess's handsome face, the latter kissing her affectionately at parting. "Now we must say good-night to Perowne and our hostess," said the doctor, merrily. "Come along, my dear, and we'll soon be home. But I say, where are these people?" Neither Helen nor Mr Perowne was visible; and the replies they received to inquiries were of the most contradictory character. "There, do let us go, Dr Bolter," exclaimed the lady, with great asperity now. "No one will miss us; but if the Perownes do, we can apologise to-morrow or next day, when we see them." "But I should have liked to say good-night," said the doctor. "Let's have one more look. I daresay Helen is down here." "I daresay Captain Hilton knows where she is," said Mrs Doctor, sharply, and Grey gave quite a start. "But I can't find Hilton, and I haven't seen Chumbley lately." "Perhaps they have been sensible enough to go home to bed," said Mrs Doctor, after she had been dragged up and down several walks. "Almost seems as if everybody had gone home to bed," said the doctor, rubbing his ear in a vexed manner. "Surely Perowne and Helen would not have gone to bed before the guests had left." "Well, I'm going to take Grey Stuart home, Doctor," said the lady, decisively. "You can do as you like, but if the hostess cannot condescend to give up her own pleasure for her guests', I don't see why we should study her." "Ah, here's Perowne," cried the doctor. "Good-night, old fellow. Thank you for a pleasant evening. We are just off. Where is Madam Helen?"