oom as soon as they had seen Aymer.

They went through the swing doors down the long corridor leading to
Aymer's room, and Christopher stopped for a moment near a window.

"I never come down here in this sort of light," he said with a little
catch in his voice, "without thinking of the first evening I came. How
big it all seemed and how quiet."

"It is quiet," said Sam in a subdued whisper.

In another moment they were in Aymer's room.

"Hullo, Caesar. Here we are, turned up like bad pennies."

Christopher pulled Sam across the room to the sofa. Sam would have
been not a little surprised had he known that it cost Aymer Aston a
great deal more effort to see a new face than it cost him to look at
this Caesar of whom he had heard so much.

The "code" slipped from his mental horizon and left him red and
embarrassed, watching Christopher furtively to see what he would do.

"Here's Sam, Caesar. I've told you all about him and he may just have
heard your name mentioned--possibly--" laughed Christopher seating
himself on the sofa and indicating a chair to his friend.

Aymer held out his hand.

"Yes, I've heard of you, Sam. Sit down, won't you?"

Sam sat down, his hands on his knees, and tried to find a safe spot on
which to focus his eyes.

"Now, isn't it a jolly room," began Christopher triumphantly, "didn't
I tell you?"

"It's big," said Sam cautiously.

"Christopher, behave yourself. Don't mind his bad manners, Sam. It's
sheer nervousness on his part, he can't help it."

A newspaper was flung dexterously across his face.

"Which gives point to my remark," continued Aymer, calmly folding it.
"Well, have you enjoyed your day? Madness, I call it, the river in
March!"

Christopher plunged into an account of their jaunt to which his
companion listened in complete bewilderment, hardly recognising the
simple pleasures of their holiday in their dress of finished detail
and humour.

"Is that a true account?" asked Aymer, catching the tail of a broad
grin.

"I didn't see the water-rat dressing himself, or the girl with the red
shoes," said Sam slowly. "My, what a chap you are, Christopher, to
spin a yarn. Wish I could reel it off to mother and the kids like
that."

He found himself in a few minutes discoursing with Aymer on the
variety and history of his family. It was not for some minutes or so
that the great subject was approached.

"I suppose," said Aymer at last, "I need not ask if you and
Christopher