And then Sir JOHN and all his considerate family and acquaintances
went to Paris to stay at the Grand Hôtel, which seemed to have been
surrendered to them (at convenient times) for their special use. Sir
JOHN was accompanied by a most useful villain, who showed the depth of
his depravity by wearing a moustache of the deepest dye. So that this
depth might be better known, he called himself DEEPWATER.
"Sir JOHN," said this villain, "your daughter has come to Paris with
Captain HARRY VERNON, and you should trounce him."
"I will," replied Sir JOHN, heartily; "but surely I have seen my
daughter, and my niece, and Captain HARRY BOYNE VERNON, and the Hon.
JULIAN KNIGHT BELFORD, and Lord HARRY NICHOLLS BANBERRY (a comic
Peer), and his wife (a converted Quakeress), and DUDLEY J.L. SHINE
ROPER, a wicked but amusing Hebrew, hanging about. Cannot we meet for
two minutes, and set everything to-rights?"
"My dear Sir JOHN," returned MAURICE FERNANDEZ DEEPWATER, "pray
consider yourself mistaken. As you say, if we all met together for
two minutes in a room, the whole thing would be settled. But then I
am distinctly under the impression that AUGUSTE LE GRAND and HENRI LE
PETTITT would be confoundedly annoyed."
"Oh," exclaimed Sir JOHN, "if you think _they_ would be annoyed, do
not say another word about it!"
So the various characters gave one another a clear berth, and missed
each other at the nick of time.
But after awhile ROSE was left alone with the Hon. JULIAN BELFORD.
"It is not very clear to me why we haven't married," said he.
"Nor to me either!" she replied. "We dawdled a bit, and I daresay put
it off because what one knows can be done at any moment is often not
done at all."
"Well, hadn't we better go to the British Embassy?"
"Why, yes." she replied, with some hesitation; "but I really think
you had better say you will marry my cousin. I fancy it would please
AUGUSTE and HENRI."
"Anything to oblige them," returned the Hon. JULIAN.
"That being settled, please leave me, as I have to fall in a dead
faint--must get an effective Curtain, you know!"
The HON. JULIAN KNIGHT BELFORD nodded his head, and then ROSE MILLWARD
WOODMERE fainted--with the desired result.