At this time, however, his dinner and the two glasses of wine which Miss Blake had contrived that he should swallow had braced him up, and John's suggestion was so warmly seconded by the ladies that, after some feeble protests and misgivings, he yielded, and John carried him off.
"I hope it won't upset Julius," said Mrs.Carling doubtfully.
"It won't do anything of the sort," her sister replied.

"He will get through the evening without worrying himself and you into fits, and, if Mr.Lenox succeeds, you won't see anything of him till ten o'clock or after, and not then, I hope.

Mind, you're to be sound asleep when he comes in--snore a little if necessary--and let him get to bed without any talk at all." "Why do you say 'if Mr.Lenox succeeds' ?" asked Mrs.Carling.
"It was his suggestion," Miss Blake answered.

"We had been talking about Julius, and he finally told me he thought he would be the better of an occasional interval of masculine society, and I quite agreed with him.
You know how much he enjoyed being with George Nollis, and how much like himself he appeared." "That is true," said Mrs.Carling.
"And you know that just as soon as he got alone again with us two women he began backing and filling as badly as ever.

I believe Mr.Lenox is right, and that Julius is just petticoated to death between us." "Did Mr.Lenox say that ?" asked Mrs.Carling incredulously.
"No," said her sister, laughing, "he didn't make use of precisely that figure, but that was what he thought plainly enough." "What do you think of Mr.Lenox ?" said Mrs.Carling irrelevantly.