Everything hung upon the hostess, for the host was little more than a still handsome figure-head.  He had been remarkable for his good looks as a young man, and Strong is the nearest approach I can get to a translation of his Erewhonian name.  His face inspired confidence at once, but he was a man of few words, and had little of that grace which in his wife set every one instantly at his or her ease.  He knew that all would go well so long as he left everything to her, and kept himself as far as might be in the background.

Before dinner was announced there was the usual buzz of conversation, chiefly occupied with salutations, good wishes for Sunday’s weather, and admiration for the extreme beauty of the Mayoress’s three daughters, the two elder of whom were already out; while the third, though only thirteen, might have passed for a year or two older.  Their mother was so much engrossed with receiving her guests that it was not till they were all at table that she was able to ask Hanky what he thought of the statues, which she had heard that he and Professor Panky had been to see.  She was told how much interested he had been with them, and how unable he had been to form any theory as to their date or object.  He then added, appealing to Panky, who was on the Mayoress’s left hand, “but we had rather a strange adventure on our way down, had we not, Panky?  We got lost, and were benighted in the forest.  Happily we fell in with one of the rangers who had lit a fire.”

“Do I understand, then,” said Yram, as I suppose we may as well call her, “that you were out all last night?  How tired you must be!  But I hope you had enough provisions with you?”

“Indeed we were out all night.  We staid by the ranger’s fire till midnight, and then tried to find our way down, but we gave it up soon after we had got out of the forest, and then waited under a large chestnut tree till four or five this morning.  As for food, we had not so much as a mouthful from about three in the afternoon till we got to our inn early this morning.”

“Oh, you poor, poor people! how tired you must be.”

“No; we made a good breakfast as soon as we got in, and then went to bed, where we staid till it was time for us to come to your house.”

Here Panky gave his friend a significant look, as much as to say that he had said enough.

This set Hanky on at once.  “Strange to say, the ranger was wearing the old Erewhonian dress.  It did me good to see it again after all these years.  It seems your son lets his men wear what few of the old clothes they may still have, so long as they keep well away from the town.  But fancy how carefully these poor fellows husband them; why, it must be seventeen years since the dress was forbidden!”