50 THE COMPLETE SPORTSMAN 



of the sudden coldness of the theatre, but gave 

 no other sign that she was aware of anything 

 remarkable having occurred.. Uncle Horace, 

 however, confided to me next day that when 

 his wife reached home that night and began to 

 undress she suddenly turned deadly pale, and 

 rang for her maid. 



It is impossible for me to repeat the conversa- 

 tion that ensued between these two estimable 

 females on the subject of those intimate under- 

 garments w^hich my Aunt distinctly remem- 

 bered having donned earlier in the evening, 

 but which had now entirely and miraculously 

 disappea,red. Suffice it to say that to this day 

 my poor relative imagines that when she dressed 

 for dinner that night she must have been 

 suffering from an attack of momentary mental 

 aphasia, or she could certainly never have gone 

 to the play in nothing but an evening gown, 

 a petticoat, and a pair of stockings. Uncle 

 Horace, of course, could easily have enlightened 

 her, but there are some things that even the 

 boldest husband shrinks from telling his wife, 

 and one of these is that he intends to go fishing 

 with a line of twisted silk composed exclusively 

 of her dessous. 



