Lucy, after an agony of blushes, had somewhat recovered on finding that no one seemed to apply her brother’s speech, and when the benevolent Mary made her way to her, and thrust a hand into hers, only a feeble pressure replied to these romantic blandishments, so anxious was she to carry to Mrs. Kendal the information that Mr. Cavendish Dusautoy had been so obliging as to desire his servant to bring his guitar and key-bugle.

‘We are much obliged,’ said Albinia, ‘but look at that face!’ and she turned Lucy towards Willie’s open-mouthed, dismayed countenance.  You must tell him the company are not sufficiently advanced in musical science.’

‘But mamma, it would gratify him!’

’Very likely’—­and without listening further, Albinia turned to Willie, who had all day been insisting that papa should introduce her to the new game of the Showman.

Infinitely delighted to be relieved from the fear of the guitar, Willie hunted all who would play into another room; whence they were to be summoned, one by one, back to the drawing-room by the showman, Mr. Ferrars, who shrugged his shoulders at the task, but undertook it, and first called for Mrs. Kendal.

She found him stationed before the red curtains, which were closely drawn, and her husband and the three elder ladies sitting by as audience.

’Pray, madam, may I ask what animal you would desire to have exhibited to you, out of the vast resources that my menagerie contains.  Choose freely, I undertake that whatever you may select, you shall not be disappointed.’

‘What, not if I were to ask for a black spider monkey?’ said Albinia, to whom it was very charming to be playing with Maurice again.

Mr. Kendal looked up in entertained curiosity, Mrs. Nugent smiled as if she thought the showman’s task impossible, and Winifred stretched out to gain a full view.

‘A black spider monkey,’ he said, slowly.  ’Allow me to ask, madam, if you are acquainted with the character of the beast?’

‘It doesn’t scratch, does it?’ said she, quickly.

‘That is for you to answer.’

’I never knew it do so.  It does chatter a great deal, but it never scratched that I knew of.’

‘Nor I,’ said the showman, ’since it was young.  Do you think age renders it graver and steadier?’

’Not a bit.  It is always frisky and troublesome, and I never knew it get a bit better as it grew older.’

Winifred laughed outright.  Mr. Kendal’s lips were parted by his smile.  ‘I wonder what sort of a mother it would make?’ said the showman.

‘All animals are good mothers, of course.’

‘I meant, is it a good disciplinarian?’

’If you mean cuffing its young one for playing exactly the same tricks as itself.’

’Exactly; and what would be the effect of letting it and its young one loose in a great scholar’s study?’

‘There wouldn’t be much study left.’