he is in love with her, why"--Mr. Taynton put
his plump finger-tips together and raised his kind eyes to the
ceiling--"why, the chance of his wanting to marry anybody else is
postponed anyhow, till, till he has got over this unfortunate attachment.
In fact, my dear fellow, there is no longer anything immediate to fear,
and I feel sure that before many weeks are up, the misfortunes and ill
luck which for the last two years have dogged us with such incredible
persistency will be repaired."

Mills said nothing for the moment but splashed himself out a liberal
allowance of brandy into his glass, and mixed it with a somewhat more
carefully measured ration of soda. He was essentially a sober man, but
that was partly due to the fact that his head was as impervious to
alcohol as teak is to water, and it was his habit to indulge in two, and
those rather stiff, brandies and sodas of an evening. He found that they
assisted and clarified thought.

"I wish to heaven you hadn't found it necessary to let young Assheton
know that his L30,000 had increased to L40,000," he said. "That's L10,000
more to get back."

"Ah, it was just that which gave him, so he thought, such good cause for
reposing complete confidence in me," remarked Mr. Taynton. "But as you
say, it is L10,000 more to get back, and I should not have told him, were
not certain ledgers of earlier years so extremely, extremely unmistakable
on the subject."

"But if he is not going to look at ledgers at all--" began Mills.

"Ah, the concealment of that sort of thing is one of the risks which it
is not worth while to take," said the other, dropping for a moment the
deferential attitude.

Mills was silent again. Then:

"Have you bought that option in Boston Coppers," he asked.

"Yes; I bought to-day."

Mills glanced at the clock as Mr. Taynton rose to go.

"Still only a quarter to twelve," he said. "If you have time, you might
give me a detailed statement. I hardly know what you have done. It won't
take a couple of minutes."

Mr. Taynton glanced at the clock likewise, and then put down his
hat again.

"I can just spare the time," he said, "but I must get home by twelve; I
have unfortunately come out without my latchkey, and I do not like
keeping the servants up."

He pressed his fingers over his eyes a moment and then spoke.

* * * * *

Ten minutes later he was in the bird-cage of the lift again, and by
twelve he had been admitte