ast of Chancery into the kennel and
forcing his way in. Instead, he hailed a hansom and drove straight to
Lincoln's Inn, boldly demanded audience of Mr. Pixley on pressing
private business, and presently found himself in the presence.

Mr. Pixley stood on the hearthrug with his back to the fire, and
handled his gold pince-nez defensively.

Here also Graeme had an intuition that he was expected, which was
somewhat odd, you know, unless his letters had been handed to Mr.
Pixley for perusal, which did not seem likely.

Mr. Pixley bowed formally and he responded--the salute before the
click of the foils.

Mr. Pixley stood expectant, but by no means inviting of confidences
such as his visitor was about to tender him. Rather he seemed fully
armed for the defence, especially in the matter of the heavy gold
pince-nez, which he held threateningly, after the manner of the
headsman of old towards the victim on whom he was about to operate.

"I have taken the liberty of calling, Mr. Pixley," said Graeme,--and
Mr. Pixley's manner in subtle fashion conveyed his full recognition of
the fact that liberty it undoubtedly was, and that he had no smallest
shadow of a right to be there,--"to inquire after Miss Brandt."

"Miss Brandt?" said Mr. Pixley vaguely, as though the name were new
and strange to him. Or perhaps it was an endeavour on his part to
express the impassable gulf which lay between his visitor and his
ward, and the profound amazement he felt at any attempt on his
visitor's part to abridge it. He also made a little involuntary
preliminary cut at him with the pince-nez, as much as to say, "If this
my weapon were of a size commensurate with my wishes and your
colossal impudence, your head would lie upon the ground, young man."

"I have had the pleasure of meeting Miss Brandt at Lady Elspeth
Gordon's and elsewhere. I think I may claim that we were on terms of
friendship. Lady Elspeth has been called from home very suddenly to
the bedside of her niece, Lady Assynt, and I have written twice to
Miss Brandt and have had no reply. It struck me that she might be ill
and I have called to inquire."

This was all lame enough no doubt, and so he felt it, but it was only
in the nature of preliminary feinting. They were not yet at grips.

"Ah!" with ponderous deliberation, "you have called to inquire if Miss
Brandt is ill. I have pleasure in informing you that she is not."

"I am glad to hear that, at all events. Might I ask if yo