"Oh, hang it, no!" cried the latter, firing up. "Surely, madam, you don't think that! Oh, absurd! Poor old Hilton! Oh, nonsense, nonsense! Why, the woman is jealous of me!" "No, no, no!" cried Lady Lisle, excitedly. "I did not think--Oh, no, Lady Tilborough, I do not think that." "Ha! That's some comfort," sighed the lady addressed; but she frowned angrily, and the look she darted at the doctor was by no means like the last, though his was of the most abject, imploring kind. "I can't explain--I can't explain," sobbed Lady Lisle in her handkerchief. "I would sooner die, for it is all over now." The others exchanged looks and a whisper or two, as they drew aside from the weeping woman. "Oh, I don't believe it of poor old Hilt," said Lady Tilborough. "Neither do I," cried the doctor. "There is no one," said Lady Tilborough. "Unless--" she added, as a sudden thought struck her. "No, no, no; he's too loyal to go running after a pretty little commonplace doll like that, Jack." "I hope so," said the doctor, shaking his head. "Well, here he is to answer for himself," he added quickly, for the farther door was opened, and, clad in slippers and dressing-gown, and carrying a flat candlestick, whose light was not wanted, and looking quite himself mentally, but ghastly pale, Sir Hilton briskly entered the room. "What's the meaning of this?" he cried, stopping short, and looking from one to the other. "Oh-h-h-h!" exclaimed Lady Lisle, in a long-drawn utterance expressive of her anger and disgust. "Why, Hilt, old fellow," cried Granton, "I thought you were ill in bed?" "What brings you here, sir?" cried Sir Hilton. "But stop; I'll talk to you afterwards," he added fiercely. "Now, madam, will you have the goodness to explain what this means?" "Oh-h-h-h!" ejaculated Lady Lisle again, in tones more long-drawn and suggestive of the rage boiling up within, her darting and flashing eyes telling their own tale of the storm about to burst. "Oh, indeed, madam!" cried Sir Hilton, mockingly. "Really, I am very sorry to have to make a display of the soiled laundry of our establishment before our visitors, but I must demand an explanation. Here am I, called suddenly away upon very important business respecting monetary matters, and I return home late, to find that you have taken advantage of my absence to--to--to--to--there, I will not give utterance to my thoughts, but ask you, madam, to explain why I find you away, even at midnight, and not putting in an appearance till nearly four in the morning--four in the morning, and in a state that--Good heavens, madam! have you looked at yourself in the glass?"