ck laughed, a baffling laugh. "I asked him to come," he said.

"You, Nick! Why?"

He frowned at her. "Don't ask questions, little girl! Ah, that's a fine
pony down there! Ye gods! What wouldn't I give to have another fling at
the game!"

"Oh, but you never must!" said Olga quickly. "I couldn't bear you to
take that risk indeed."

"You'd like to wrap me up in cotton-wool and seal me in a safe," laughed
Nick.

"No; but, Nick, you are so reckless," she said, with loving eyes upon
him. "It would be madness, wouldn't it, Max?"

Max's shrewd look rested for a moment on his host. "Little gods
sometimes accomplish what mere mortals would never dream of attempting,"
he said. "How soon do you expect to be Viceroy, Nick?"

"Oh, not for a year or two," said Nick. "I haven't talked it over with
my wife yet. There's no knowing. She may object. Wives are sometimes
hard to please, you know." He flung a humorous glance at Max, and turned
to leave them. "You will excuse me, I am sure, with the utmost pleasure.
I am going to play spelicans with Kobad Shikan."

He was gone, and Olga turned to Max, smiling somewhat uneasily. "I wish
he wouldn't," she said.

"What? Play spelicans? I should think he might prove as great an adept
at that as walking the tight rope," said Max. "Ah, here comes your
friend Mrs. Musgrave! She went home and told her husband this morning
that I was the most objectionable young man she had ever met."

Olga's eyes widened with indignation. "Max, I'm sure she didn't, and if
she did it was entirely your own fault. I believe you wanted her to
think so."

"Some people have an antipathy to red hair," observed Max. "You had
yourself at one time, I believe. Hullo! Is that our gallant Noel in
polo-kit? What a magnificent spectacle!"

It was Noel following Daisy, whose rickshaw he had just spied, and
bearing the proud Peggy on his shoulder.

He came straight to Olga, smiling with supreme ease, lowered Peggy from
her perch, and dropped into the vacant seat beside her. Daisy passed on
with a smile to join the Bradlaws. Peggy remained, glued to her hero's
side.

"I say," said Noel, "I hope you haven't been thinking me beastly rude,
Olga. I've been wishing you happiness with all my heart all the morning,
but I simply couldn't get round to tell you so."

It was charmingly spoken. Her hand lay in his while he said it. He did
not seem to observe his brother on her other side. But Peggy observed
him and clung to Noe