‘Has the fatigue of yesterday gone off, sir?’

’No; but I see the business has come.  Can you be comfortable in your mousehole?  Let us have the business, my dear.  If it is knotty perhaps it will make me forget my ankle.’

‘Ah!’ she said remorsefully, ’I was talking of fatigue, sir—­ not of pain.  Is the pain very bad?’

’No, my dear; but I was always inclined to the epicurian side of philosophy, and partial to anodynes; or even counter-irritants.’

‘Whose bandage have you got on?’ she said curiously.

‘Whose?  My own.’

’Dear sir, I do not mean as to the linen!  Mr. Rollo was coming down to teach Gotham, and I wondered which of them took a lesson.  That is all.’

‘H’m!  Ask Gotham,’ said Mr. Falkirk.

‘I wish I had been here to see,’ said Wych Hazel.  ’Never mind, I will next time.  By the way, sir, did you leave any orders for me yesterday morning with anybody?’

‘What do you mean, my dear?’ said her guardian, rather opening his eyes.  It is to be noted that though he growled and frowned as much as ever, there had come into Mr. Falkirk’s mien an undoubted softening of expression since yesterday.

’I merely asked, sir.  But now for business.  Mrs. Powder is to have a grand explosion in the way of a dinner party next week.  And she wants me to come and help touch off the fireworks.  May I go?’

‘What did you tell her?’

‘That I would if you would, sir.’

‘Is this the business?’

‘Item the first, sir.’

’Well, my dear.  Anything conditional upon my movements for some time to come will probably have to be vetoed.  But you will have offers of a substitute.’

‘The Marylands are going, sir.’

‘Of course.’

‘Well, Mr. Falkirk, suppose substitutes do offer,—­what then?’

‘Then you will follow your pleasure, Miss Hazel.’

’Thank you, sir.  The next item seems to be a mild form of this:  a little evening party at Mrs. Gen. Merrick’s.  And Mrs. Merrick hearing of your accident, sent a note to say that Miss Bird would convey me to Merricksdale, safe and in good order.’

‘Who is Miss Bird?’

’Don’t you remember, sir?  She came to see me the same morning the Lasalle party came.’

‘There are a great many Birds,’ said Mr. Falkirk, grumpily, ‘and they are not all pigeons.’

’But, my dear Mr. Falkirk, however important such natural history facts may be, they do not exactly meet the case in hand.’

’I don’t know whether they meet it or no.  Can’t you go with Miss Maryland?’

‘Not invited, sir.’

‘How would you get back?’

‘Mrs. Merrick takes charge of that.’

‘And didn’t think it necessary to inform you how or when?’

’It is only a small party, sir.  I should expect to be back early.’

’That needs to be made certain, Miss Hazel, and stipulated for.’