TheCompleteMemoirsOfGeorgeSherston

mounted by two large lacquered combs and an abbre-
viated plume dyed purple. She herself seemed to have
travelled many miles that evening—from the end of
the eighteenth century perhaps—drawn over rough
roads at a foot-pace in some lumbering, rumbling
family coach. This notion had just crossed my mind
when The Mister made his appearance, which was
impeccable except for the fact that he was carrying
in one hand a glass of something which I assumed to
be whisky.

By some Misterish miracle he had recovered his
equilibrium—or leguilibrium—and was quite the
grand seigneur in his deportment. His only social dis-
advantage was that he seemed incapable of articulate
utterance. Whenever a remark was made he merely
nodded like a mandarin. Kegworthy also was com-
pletely uncommunicative., but looked less amiable.
We followed the ladies into the dining-room, and
thus began a dinner which largely consisted of awful
silences. At one end of the table sat The Mister; Mrs,
O'Halloran was to the right of him and Miss O'Hal-
loran was to the left of him. Next to Miss O'Halloran
sat me; Mrs. O'Donnell, of course, faced The Mister,
so Kegworthy's position may be conjectured. He was,
beyond all conjecture, sitting beside Mrs. O'Halloran.

Mrs. O'Donnell and I did all the work. Kegworthy
being a non-starter, she talked across him to Mrs.
O'Halloran, while I made heavy weather with Miss
O'Halloran, who relied mainly on a nervous titter,
while her mamma relied entirely on monosyllabic
decorum. As the meal went on I became seriously
handicapped by the fact that I got what is known
as "the giggles". Every time I looked across at Mrs.
O'Halloran her heavily powdered face set me off
again, and I rather think that Mrs. O'Donnell became

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