I believe. It depends so
much on whom you meet when abroad."

This was unfortunate, because it recalled Tregear to the Duke's mind.
"We saw very few people whom we knew," he said.

"I've been shooting in Scotland with Silverbridge, and Gerald, and
Reginald Dobbes, and Nidderdale,--and that fellow Tregear, who is so
thick with Silverbridge."

"Indeed!"

"I'm told that Lord Gerald is going to be the great shot of his day,"
said Lady Cantrip.

"It is a distinction," said the Duke bitterly.

"He did not beat me by so much," continued Popplecourt. "I think
Tregear did the best with his rifle. One morning he potted three.
Dobbes was disgusted. He hated Tregear."

"Isn't it stupid,--half-a-dozen men getting together in that way?"
asked Lady Cantrip.

"Nidderdale is always jolly."

"I am glad to hear that," said the mother-in-law.

"And Gerald is a regular brick." The Duke bowed. "Silverbridge used
always to be going off to Killancodlem, where there were a lot of
ladies. He is very sweet, you know, on this American girl whom you
have here." Again the Duke winced. "Dobbes is awfully good as to
making out the shooting, but then he is a tyrant. Nevertheless I
agree with him, if you mean to do a thing you should do it."

"Certainly," said the Duke. "But you should make up your mind first
whether the thing is worth doing."

"Just so," said Popplecourt. "And as grouse and deer together are
about the best things out, most of us made up our minds that it was
worth doing. But that fellow Tregear would argue it out. He said a
gentleman oughtn't to play billiards as well as a marker."

"I think he was right," said the Duke.

"Do you know Mr. Tregear, Duke?"

"I have met him--with my son."

"Do you like him?"

"I have seen very little of him."

"I cannot say I do. He thinks so much of himself. Of course he is
very intimate with Silverbridge, and that is all that any one knows
of him." The Duke bowed almost haughtily, though why he bowed he
could hardly have explained to himself. Lady Cantrip bit her lips in
disgust. "He's just the fellow," continued Popplecourt, "to think
that some princess has fallen in love with him." Then the Duke left
the room.

"You had better not talk to him about Mr. Tregear," said Lady
Cantrip.

"Why not?"

"I don't know whether he approves of the intimacy between him and
Lord Silverbridge."

"I should think not;--a man without any position or a shilling in the
world."

"The Duke