My darling! Blatherskites? Remember--noblesse oblige."

There, there--talk to me in your own tongue, Ross--you don't know any

other, and you only botch it when you try. Oh, don't stare--it was a

slip, and no crime; customs of a life-time can't be dropped in a second.

Rossmore--there, now, be appeased, and go along with you and attend to

Gwendolen. Are you going to write, Washington?--or telegraph?"

He will telegraph, dear."

"I thought as much," my lady muttered, as she left the room. "Wants it

so the address will have to appear on the envelop. It will just make a

fool of that child. She'll get it, of course, for if there are any other

Sellerses there they'll not be able to claim it. And just leave her

alone to show it around and make the most of it. Well, maybe she's

forgivable for that. She's so poor and they're so rich, of course she's

had her share of snubs from the livery-flunkey sort, and I reckon it's

only human to want to get even."

Uncle Dan'l was sent with the telegram; for although a conspicuous object

in a corner of the drawing-room was a telephone hanging on a transmitter,

Washington found all attempts to raise the central office vain. The

Colonel grumbled something about its being "always out of order when

you've got particular and especial use for it," but he didn't explain

that one of the reasons for this was that the thing was only a dummy and

The American Claimant