“Play!” murmured Lady Julia, glancing at Mr. Sagittarius, who was holding back the right sleeve of Mr. Ferdinand’s coat with his left hand in order to have the free use of his dinner limb.

“Yes,” whispered the Prophet.  “He’s the most harmless, innocent creature.  A child might stroke him.  I mean he wouldn’t hurt a child.”

“Yes, but we are not children,” said Lady Julia, still in great apprehension.

Meanwhile Sir Tiglath, concerned with his dinner, took no heed of Mr. Sagittarius for the moment, and that gentleman, slightly reassured, endeavoured to make himself agreeable to Mrs. Merillia.

“You are very pleasantly situated here, ma’am,” he began.

Mrs. Merillia thought he meant because she was at his elbow, and answered politely,—­

“Yes, very pleasantly situated.”

“It is indeed a blessing to be within such easy reach of the Stores,” added Mr. Sagittarius, finishing his soup, and permitting Mr. Ferdinand’s sleeves to flow down once more over his hands.

“The Stores!” said Mrs. Merillia.

“O festum dies beatus illa!” ejaculated Madame, assuming an expression of profound and almost passionate sentiment.  “Happy indeed the good lady who dwells in the central districts!”

She permitted a gigantic sigh to leave her bosom and to wander freely among the locks of those at the table.  Sir Tiglath, who, on being assaulted by her learning, had shown momentary symptoms of apoplexy, now gave a loud grunt, while the Prophet, perceiving that his grandmother and Lady Julia were quite unequal to the occasion, hastily replied,—­

“Yes, Berkeley Square is very convenient in may ways.”

“Ah!” said Mr. Sagittarius, keeping a wary eye on Sir Tiglath and re-addressing himself to Mrs. Merillia, “the Berkeley Square.  But if you lived in the one behind Kimmins’s Mews, it would be quite another pair of boots, would it not, ma’am?”

Lady Julia, who was sitting next to Mr. Sagittarius, shifted her chair nearer to the Prophet, and whispered, “I’m sure he is dangerous, Mr. Vivian!” while Mrs. Merillia, in the greatest perplexity, replied,—­

“The one behind Mr. Kimmins’s Mews?”

“Ay, over against Brigwell’s Buildings, just beyond the Pauper Lunatic Asylum.”

Lady Julia turned pale.

“I daresay,” answered Mrs. Merillia, bravely.  “But I am not acquainted with the neighbourhood you mention.”

“You know the Mouse?”

At this abrupt return to the subject of mice Lady Julia became really terrified.

“Be frank with me, Mr. Vivian,” she whispered to the Prophet, under cover of boiled salmon; “is he a ratcatcher?”

“Good Heavens, no!” whispered back the Prophet.  “He’s—­he’s quite the contrary.”

“But—­”

“What mouse?” said Mrs. Merillia, endeavouring to seem pleasantly at ease, though she, too, was beginning to feel a certain amount of alarm at these strange beings’ persistent discussion of the inhabitants of the wainscot.  “Do you allude to any special mouse?”