Was it possible that the unfortunate woman had been in no condition to come among them?
"Oh, a _greatly_ overrated man!" repeated Miss Caroline, terribly, "far too wordy--too fond of wretched puns--so much of his humor coarse and tiresome.

By the way, have you ladies taken up Byron ?" The moment was charged, almost to explosion.

A crisis impended, out of the very speechlessness of the gathering.

Mrs.Potts was aghast in behalf of William Shakspere, and Marcella Eubanks was crimsoning at the blunt query about Byron, well knowing that he could be taken up by a lady only with the wariest caution, and that he would much better be let alone.

The others were torn demoralizingly between these two extremes of distress.
But the situation was saved by the ready wit of Mrs.Judge Robinson.
"I think the hour has come for refreshments, Madam President!" she said urbanely, and the meeting was nervously adjourned.