It appears that at a few minutes past eleven o'clock, when the President was peacefully smoking a cigar and listening to the conversation of his fair guest (whom he had galvanized into an affected liveliness by alarming remarks on her apparent preoccupation), there fell upon his ear the sound of a loud knocking at the door.

Dinner had been served in a small room at the back of the house, and the President could not command a view of the knocker without going out on to the veranda, which ran all round the house, and walking round to the front.

When the knock was heard, the signorina started up.
"Don't disturb yourself, pray," said his Excellency, politely.

"I gave special instructions that I was visible to no one this evening.

But I was wondering whether it could be Johnny Carr.