d of nonsense goes on down there: Nan is the only one who
has kept clear out of it. Well, the guardians didn't see it; and they
went to the Court, and they got the Vice-Chancellor to issue an order
forbidding young Hanbury from having any sort of communication with
Madge. Now, you know, if you play any games with an order of that sort
hanging over you, it's the very devil. It is. Won't you have some
pickles?'

'And how is Miss Madge affected by the order?' asked Captain King.

'Oh,' said this garrulous youth, who had entirely forgotten his
cultivated, reticent manner in meeting this old friend, 'she pretends
to be greatly hurt, and thinks it cruel and heart-breaking and all the
rest of it; but that's only her fun, don't you know? She's precious
glad to get out of it, that's my belief; and nobody knew better than
herself he wouldn't do at all. Finished? Come and have a game of
billiards then.'

They went upstairs to a long, low-roofed apartment, in which were two
tables. They lit cigars, chose their cues, and fell to work. Frank
King had not played half-a-dozen strokes when Mr. Tom said, generously--

'I will put you on thirty points.'

They played five minutes longer.

'Look here, I will give you another thirty.'

'Sixty in a hundred?' said King, laughing. 'Well, that is rather a
confession of bad play.'

'Oh, as for that,' said Mr. Tom, 'I don't see that a naval officer
should be ashamed of playing badly at billiards. He should be proud of
it. I shan't glory in it if I beat you.'

Mr. Tom was really very friendly. After a couple of games or so he
said--

'Look here, it's nearly four o'clock. I am going down to Brighton by
the 4.30. Will you come down and see my mother and the girls? I am
afraid we can't put you up; but you can get a bedroom at the Norfolk or
Prince's; and we dine at eight.'

Frank King hesitated for a minute or two. Ever since he had come to
England he had had a strange wish to see Nan Beresford, even though he
had heard she was going to be married. He wished to see whether she
had turned out to be what he had predicted to himself; whether she
retained those peculiar distinctions of character and expression and
manner that had so attracted him; somehow he thought he would like just
to shake hands with her for a moment, and see once before him those
clear, blue-gray, shy, humorous eyes. But this proposal was too
sudden. His heart jumped with a quick dismay. He was not