"You are all mistaken, indeed you are.

Smith's father is not a--I mean he's merely away for his health, I assure you." "Rather a lingering illness," drily replied the Field-marshal, amid general laughter, "if it's kept him abroad all these years." "If you will take my advice, Batchelor," said Hawkesbury, "you'll be careful how you tell everybody a thing like this.

It's not a pleasant sort of thing to be known of a fellow." "Indeed, indeed," I cried once more, almost beside myself with terror and rage, "you're all wrong.

I wish I'd said nothing about it.

Won't you believe me ?" "Delighted," said Whipcord, who with every one else had been enjoying my dismay, and laughing at my efforts to extricate myself.