It had an uncommonly good reception, and, coupled with the Irish letter I read at dessert, carried the dinner along on a basis of such laughter and good-fellowship that finally there was no place for regret save in the hearts of those who knew and loved Salemina--poor Salemina, spending her dull, lonely evening in our rooms, and later on in her own uneventful bed, if indeed she had been lucky enough to gain access to that bed.

I had hoped Lady Killbally would put one of us beside Dr.
La Touche, so that we might at least keep Salemina's memory green by tactful conversation; but it was too large a company to rearrange, and he had to sit by an empty chair, which perhaps was just as salutary, after all.

The dinner was very smart, and the company interesting and clever, but my thoughts were elsewhere.

As there were fewer squires than dames at the feast, Lady Killbally kindly took me on her left, with a view to better acquaintance, and I was heartily glad of a possible chance to hear something of Dr.La Touche's earlier life.

In our previous interviews, Salemina's presence had always precluded the possibility of leading the conversation in the wished-for direction.
When I first saw Gerald La Touche I felt that he required explanation.
Usually speaking, a human being ought to be able, in an evening's conversation, to explain himself, without any adventitious aid.