and walk delicately in the opposite direction, with half-closed eyes.

"I repeat, it is an exaggeration," stubbornly replied Mrs. Ephraim
Perkins, as she stretched for the marmalade. "And I do hope the
fire-engines arrived in time."




CHAPTER XXVII

"_A tale-bearer revealeth secrets; but a man of
understanding holdeth his peace_."

PROVERBS.


It was the night of the full moon.

It was also the night of the cotillon given by a certain princelet of
unpronounceable name and great wealth, who hailed from one of those
countries in Europe where quasi-royalties abound.

The cotillon-favours were to be of extraordinarily fine quality.
Rumour spoke of gold cigarette-cases and other such trifles, for both
sexes; the supper was to be a Bacchanalian feast; every invitation had
been accepted--_ça va sans dire_. The hotel was like a disturbed
wasps' nest, and the buzzing of the chatterers and the gossips
well-nigh deafening.