cy took his hand, and a charming smile lit up her face.

'Oh, father, you've made me so happy by saying that. Now I shall be able
to tell George that there's nothing to worry about.'

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Dick. Fred Allerton
greeted him heartily.

'You've just come in time to take Lucy home. I've got to go out. But
look here, George is coming up, isn't he? Let us all lunch at the
_Carlton_ at two, and get Alice to come. We'll have a jolly little meal
together.'

Dick was astounded to see the lightness with which Allerton took the
affair. He seemed unconscious of the gravity of his position and
unmindful of the charge which was hanging over him. Dick was not anxious
to accept the invitation, but Allerton would hear of no excuses. He
wanted to have his friends gathered around him, and he needed relaxation
after the boredom of spending a morning in his lawyer's office.

'Come on,' he said. 'I can't wait another minute.'

He opened the door, and Lucy walked out. It seemed to Dick that Allerton
was avoiding any chance of conversation with him. But no man likes to
meet his creditor within four walls, and this disinclination might be
due merely to the fact that Allerton owed him a couple of hundred
pounds. But he meant to get in one or two words.

'Are you fixed up with a solicitor?' he asked.

'Do you think I'm a child, Dick?' answered the other. 'Why, I've got the
smartest man in the whole profession, Teddie Blakeley--you know him,
don't you?'

'Only by reputation,' answered Dick drily. 'I should think that was
enough for most people.'

Fred Allerton gave that peculiarly honest laugh of his, which was so
attractive. Dick knew that the solicitor he mentioned was a man of evil
odour, who had made a specialty of dealing with the most doubtful sort
of commercial work, and his name had been prominent in every scandal for
the last fifteen years. It was surprising that he had never followed any
of his clients to the jail he richly deserved.

'I thought it no good going to one of the old crusted family solicitors.
I wanted a man who knew the tricks of the trade.'

They were walking down the stairs, while Lucy waited at the bottom. Dick
stopped and turned round. He looked at Allerton keenly.

'You're not going to do a bolt, are you?'

Allerton's face lit up with amusement. He put his hands on Dick's
shoulders.

'My dear old Dick, don't be such an ass. I don't know about
Saunders--he'