George was a little late, but when he came, dinner was announced.  My father sat on Yram’s right-hand, Dr. Downie on her left.  George was next my father, with Mrs. Humdrum opposite to him.  The Professors sat one on either side of the Mayor.  During dinner the conversation turned almost entirely on my father’s flight, his narrow escape from drowning, and his adventures on his return to England; about these last my father was very reticent, for he said nothing about his book, and antedated his accession of wealth by some fifteen years, but as he walked up towards the statues with George he told him everything.

My father repeatedly tried to turn the conversation from himself, but Mrs. Humdrum and Yram wanted to know about Nna Haras, as they persisted in calling my mother—­how she endured her terrible experiences in the balloon, when she and my father were married, all about my unworthy self, and England generally.  No matter how often he began to ask questions about the Nosnibors and other old acquaintances, both the ladies soon went back to his own adventures.  He succeeded, however, in learning that Mr. Nosnibor was dead, and Zulora, an old maid of the most unattractive kind, who had persistently refused to accept Sunchildism, while Mrs. Nosnibor was the recipient of honours hardly inferior to those conferred by the people at large on my father and mother, with whom, indeed, she believed herself to have frequent interviews by way of visionary revelations.  So intolerable were these revelations to Zulora, that a separate establishment had been provided for her.  George said to my father quietly—­“Do you know I begin to think that Zulora must be rather a nice person.”

“Perhaps,” said my father grimly, “but my wife and I did not find it out.”

When the ladies left the room, Dr. Downie took Yram’s seat, and Hanky Dr. Downie’s; the Mayor took Mrs. Humdrum’s, leaving my father, George, and Panky, in their old places.  Almost immediately, Dr. Downie said, “And now, Mr, Higgs, tell us, as a man of the world, what we are to do about Sunchildism?”

My father smiled at this.  “You know, my dear sir, as well as I do, that the proper thing would be to put me back in prison, and keep me there till you can send me down to the capital.  You should eat your oaths of this morning, as I would eat mine; tell every one here who I am; let them see that my hair has been dyed; get all who knew me when I was here before to come and see me; appoint an unimpeachable committee to examine the record of my marks and measurements, and compare it with those of my own body.  You should let me be seen in every town at which I lodged on my way down, and tell people that you had made a mistake.  When you get to the capital, hand me over to the King’s tender mercies and say that our oaths were only taken this morning to prevent a ferment in the town.  I will play my part very willingly.  The King can only kill me, and I should die like a gentleman.”