Eliza and Verano as she swept
into the adjoining drawing-room.
"Dear me," said Lady Enid, with great curiosity. "Dear me, Mr.
Sagittarius, is your wife going to make a declaration? This is most
interesting!"
And, moved by her besetting idiosyncrasy, she added to the astronomer,
"Excuse me," Sir Tiglath, "I'll be back in one moment!" and glided
swiftly away in the wake of Madame, leaving Mr. Sagittarius and his
deadliest foe _tete-a-tete_.
"Is this a madhouse, sir?" cried Sir Tiglath, on being thus abandoned.
"The old astronomer demands to know at once if one is, or is not, in a
vast madhouse?"
"I don't know, sir, indeed," replied Mr. Sagittarius. "I should not like
to express an opinion on the point. If you will excu--"
"Sir, the old astronomer will not excuse you," roared Sir Tiglath,
forcibly preventing Mr. Sagittarius, who was pale as ashes, from
escaping into the farther room. "He will not be run away from by
everybody in this manner."
"I beg pardon, sir, I had no intention of running away," said Mr.
Sagittarius, making one last despairing effort to assume his _toga
virilibus_.
"Then why did you do it, sir? Tell the old astronomer that!" cried Sir
Tiglath, seizing him by the arm.
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