r of
the back seats of the carriage, which was already waiting at the
door to take Mrs. Sylvester and her daughter for their anteprandial
drive in the Park, and expressing their regret that they had not
seen Charles, uncle and nephew took their leave together.

"Dick, my boy," said the colonel, when they were safely in the
street, "you must come and dine with me. Not tonight; I am going to
take Lady Dulminster to the French play. Let me have your address,
or come and look me up at the club. I'm dev'lish glad you're getting
on so well, my boy, though you were a fool not to stay up at Oxford
and take your degree. After all, though, perhaps you aren't quite
the cut for the Church or a fellowship, and--and the Sylvesters are
dev'lish good people to know, Dick. Ta, ta! Don't forget to come and
see me."

So saying, Dick's versatile uncle waved his cheroot by way of adieu,
and clambered laboriously into a hansom.

"By Jove!" said the younger man blankly, "what a ridiculous old
humbug it is! And how he used to frighten me in the old days with
his confounded cavalry bluster! I rather think I _will_ look him up:
and I'll dine with him three times a week if he likes. Meanwhile,
it's time for me to go and meet old Rainham, and take him round to
Brodonowski's. What a ripping sunset!"

And he strolled light-heartedly through Grosvenor Square, the smoke
of his cigarette fading away behind him.

CHAPTER IV

When Rainham pushed back the door of the dim little restaurant in
Turk Street, Soho, he stood a moment, blinking his eyes a little in
the sudden change from the bright summer sunshine, before he assured
himself that his friend had not yet arrived. Half a dozen men were
sitting about smoking or discussing various drinks. The faces of
several were familiar to him, but there were none of them whom he
knew; so he took his seat at a table near the door and ordered a
vermouth to occupy him until Lightmark, whose unpunctuality was
notorious, should put in an appearance. In the interim his eyes
strayed round the establishment, taking stock of the walls with
their rough decorations, and the _clientele_, and noting, not without
a certain pleasure, that during the six months in which he had been
absent neither had suffered much alteration.

Indeed, to Philip Rainham, who had doubtless in his blood the taint
of Bohemia, Brodonowski's and the enthusiasm of its guests had a
very definite charm. They were almost all of them artists