Miss Grey had been gradually becoming more and more horrified. She had been prepared for a good deal, but this was too much. And the creature's own brother listened to it! Her knitting fell from her grasp, and the needles jangled on the tiled floor. The captain hastened to pick them up, interrupting his narrative for that purpose; but Miss Grey froze him with an awful look, and strode into the house. Miss Grey was a woman who never allowed herself to be turned from the path of duty, however painful that path might be to others. She soon made up her mind as to what she must do, and, having come to a resolution, she laid the whole matter before an informal committee of three irreproachable and austere matrons, whom she selected from among her fellow-guests. The immediate result of their conference was, that when Maggie Lester, looking very fresh and blooming after her morning gallop, came in to luncheon and took her place at the table, no fewer than four elderly ladies put down their knives and forks, rose from their chairs, and solemnly stalked out of the room. "Hullo! what's up?" said Charlie Lester. But nobody knew what was up; and, to all appearance, Maggie least of all, for she cheerfully began her lunch, mere remarking to the captain, as though in continuance of a previous conversation: "It wouldn't have been so bad if I'd had anything--even the least little bit--on, would it?" "Ah, you ought to have put your boots on," said the captain, with a smile. A fifth lady, sitting by, overheard these remarks, and when, after lunch, Miss Grey informed her of the startling occurrence of the morning, her testimony completed the damning chain of evidence. They made a joke of it! What could the suggestion of boots--only boots--be, except a vulgar, shameless jest? The ladies went in a body to the proprietor, and intimated that either they or the Lester party must forthwith leave the hotel. The proprietor demanded reasons; cogent, irrefragable reasons were supplied by Miss Grey and the fifth lady--reasons clothed, of course, in decorous language, but unmistakably revealing the infamous conduct of Maggie Lester. "I assure you, ladies," exclaimed the proprietor, beads of perspiration standing on his brow, "it's the first time such a thing has ever occurred in my house." "It must be the last," said Miss Grey firmly. "I will act at once," declared the proprietor. "This is a respectable house, and such proceedings cannot be tolerated. Good gracious! It would endanger my license!" "And your soul," said Miss Grey solemnly. "I beg your pardon, miss?" said the proprietor. "_And_ your soul," repeated Miss Grey. "Oh, yes, to be sure--of course, my soul, miss. As it was, I had a bother about it last year--my license, I mean, miss. I'll go to Mr. Lester at once."