“And what have you been upon me, I should like to know?  What about those goings-on with the woman Bridgeman?  What about your investigations with that hussy Minerva?  You’ve been her owl, that’s what you’ve been!”

She began to show grave symptoms of hysteria.  Mr. Sagittarius patted her hands in great anxiety.

“My love, I have told you, I have sworn—­”

“And what man doesn’t swear whenever he gets the chance?” cried Madame.  “Why did I ever marry? Heu miserum me.”

“My angel, be calm.  I assure you—­”

“Very well then, declare yourself, Jupiter, this minute, or I’ll declare yourself for you!”

“But, my love, think of Sir Tiglath!  I dare not declare myself.  He will be here at any moment, and he has sworn to kill me, if I’m not an American syndicate!”

“Rubbish!”

“But, my—­”

“Rubbish!  That’s only what Mr. Vivian says.”

“Well, but—­”

“Besides, you can put on your toga virilibus and knock him down.  It’s no use talking to me, Jupiter.”

“I know it isn’t, my darling, I know.  But—­”

“If you don’t declare yourself I shall declare yourself for you this very moment.  I will not endure to be left in the corner while all these nobodies are being truckled to.  Bernard Wilkins, indeed!  A prophet we wouldn’t so much as recognise to be a prophet, and that there Mrs. Eliza—­people from the Wick going down to supper in front of us, and a man from the Butts put before you!  It’s right down disgusting, and I won’t have it.”

It was exactly at this point in the matrimonial conference that Lady Enid and Sir Tiglath Butt, shaking themselves free of Mrs. Eliza and Verano, bore down upon Mr. and Madame Sagittarius, who were so busily engaged in disputation that they did not perceive that anyone was near until Lady Enid touched Mr. Sagittarius upon the arm.

That gentleman started violently and, on perceiving Sir Tiglath Butt, who was positively sputtering with wrath at the palmistic attentions paid to him by Verano, shrank against his wife, who pushed him vigorously from her, and, getting upon her feet, announced in a loud voice,—­

“Very well, Jupiter, since you won’t declare yourself I shall go at once to the woman Bridgeman and declare yourself for you!”

And with this remark she scowled at Lady Enid and walked majestically away, tossing her head vehemently at Mrs. Eliza and Verano as she swept into the adjoining drawing-room.

“Dear me,” said Lady Enid, with great curiosity.  “Dear me, Mr. Sagittarius, is your wife going to make a declaration?  This is most interesting!”

And, moved by her besetting idiosyncrasy, she added to the astronomer, “Excuse me,” Sir Tiglath, “I’ll be back in one moment!” and glided swiftly away in the wake of Madame, leaving Mr. Sagittarius and his deadliest foe tete-a-tete.

“Is this a madhouse, sir?” cried Sir Tiglath, on being thus abandoned.  “The old astronomer demands to know at once if one is, or is not, in a vast madhouse?”