"
"Ah!" said Mr. Sagittarius, keeping a wary eye on Sir Tiglath and
re-addressing himself to Mrs. Merillia, "the Berkeley Square. But if you
lived in the one behind Kimmins's Mews, it would be quite another pair
of boots, would it not, ma'am?"
Lady Julia, who was sitting next to Mr. Sagittarius, shifted her chair
nearer to the Prophet, and whispered, "I'm sure he is dangerous, Mr.
Vivian!" while Mrs. Merillia, in the greatest perplexity, replied,--
"The one behind Mr. Kimmins's Mews?"
"Ay, over against Brigwell's Buildings, just beyond the Pauper Lunatic
Asylum."
Lady Julia turned pale.
"I daresay," answered Mrs. Merillia, bravely. "But I am not acquainted
with the neighbourhood you mention."
"You know the Mouse?"
At this abrupt return to the subject of mice Lady Julia became really
terrified.
"Be frank with me, Mr. Vivian," she whispered to the Prophet, under
cover of boiled salmon; "is he a ratcatcher?"
"Good Heavens, no!" whispered back the Prophet. "He's--he's quite the
contrary."
"But--"
"What mouse?" said Mrs. Merillia, endeavouring to seem pleasantly at
ease, though she, too, was beginning to feel a certain amount of alarm
at these strange beings' persistent discussion of the inhabitants of the
wainscot.
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