. He believed in not thinking about things very much,
because thinking let in Radicals and diseases and the poor, and made one
uncomfortable. He loved the London that he knew, a London bounded by
Sloane Square, the Marble Arch, Trafalgar Square and Westminster.

He was a bachelor, but might have married Lady Adela had the Duchess not
refused to hear of Lady Adela leaving her; he adored the Duchess,
although he was scarcely ever allowed to see her because he bored her.
He always lowered his voice a little when talking to women, and
heightened it a little when talking to men; to his valet he spoke in the
voice that Nature had given him.

Lady Adela was reassured as she came towards them. Although she did not
especially desire to marry Lord Crewner, the thought that he might, had
affairs been differently arranged, have asked her, placed him, in her
eyes, apart from other men. At any rate these two were comfortable to
her, and, for a moment, she was able to dismiss Rachel and Frank Breton
from her mind.

They talked easily beside the fireplace. The voices of Lady Carloes and
Lord John, the pleasant murmur of the fire, the ticking clocks, all
helped that lazy swaying of time and space about one, that happy
reassurance that as the world had been so would it continue ever to be,
and that the old emotions and the old experiences and the old opinions
would always hold their own against all invasion and decay.

Lord Richard talked of Chippendale and some wonderful Lowestoft, Lord
Crewner talked of Madeira and Lady Masters' new house; Lady Adela
listened and was soothed.

Upon them all broke a voice:

"Sir Roderick Seddon, my lady."

There stood in the doorway the freshest, the most beaming of young men.
He was tall and broad; his face was of a red-brick colour, and his dark
London clothes, although they were well cut and handsome enough, were
obviously only worn to please a necessary convention. His hair was light
brown and cut close to his head, and his body had the healthy sturdiness
of someone whose every muscle was in proper training.

He came forward to the group at the fireplace with the walk of a man
accustomed to space and air and freedom; his smiling face was so genial
and good-humoured that the whole room seemed to break away a little from
its decorous and shining propriety. They were all pleased to see him.
Lady Carloes and Lord John came over and joined the group, and they
stood all about him talking and laug