ke him rather less
now than he had liked him at school.

"_My_ lord! fancy seeing you again!" Drake effused.

Michael found himself shaken warmly by the hand in support of the
enthusiastic recognition. After the less accentuated cordiality of
Oxford manners, it was strange to be standing like this with clasped
hands in the middle of this undulatory crowd.

"I _say_, Bangs, old man, we must have a drink on this."

Drake led the way to the bar and called authoritatively for two whiskies
and a split Polly.

"Quite a little-bit-of-fluffy-all-right," he whispered to Michael,
seeming to calculate with geometrical eyes the arcs and semicircles of
the barmaid's form. She with her nose in the air poured out the liquid,
and Michael wondered how any of it went into the glass. As a matter of
fact, most of it splashed onto the bar, whence Drake presently took his
change all bedewed with alcohol, and, lifting his glass, wished Michael
a jolly good chin-chin.

"'D luck," Michael muttered in response.

"_My_ lord!" Drake began again. "Fancy meeting you of all people. And
not a bit different. I said to myself: 'I'm jiggered if that isn't old
Bangs,' and--well, _my_ lord! but I was surprised. Do you often come out
on the randan?"

"Not very often," Michael admitted. "I just happened to be alone
to-night."

"Good for you, old sport. What have you been doing since you left
school?"

"I'm just down from Oxford," Michael informed him.

"Pretty good spree up there, eh?"

"Oh, yes, rather," said Michael.

"Well, I had the chance to go," said Drake. "But it wasn't good enough.
It's against you in the City, you know. Waste of time really, except of
course for a parson or a schoolmaster."

"Yes, I expect it would have been rather a waste of time for you,"
Michael agreed.

"Oh, rotten! So you moved from--where was it?--Carlington Road?"

"Yes, we moved to Cheyne Walk."

"Let's see. That's in Hampstead, isn't it?"

"Well, it's rather nearer the river," suggested Michael. "Are you still
in Trelawny Road?"

"Yes, still in the same old hovel. My hat! Talking of Trelawny Road, it
_is_ a small world. Who do you think I saw last week?"

"Not Lily Haden?" Michael asked, in spite of a wish not to rise so
quickly to Drake's hook.

"You're right. I saw the fair Lily. But where do you think I saw her?
Bangs, old boy, I tell you I'm not a fellow who's easily surprised. But
this knocked me. Of course, you'll understand the Hadens fl