of his
wife's opera box; but Mrs. Halidon had grown so resplendent that she
reduced her handsome husband to a supernumerary. In January the papers
began to talk of the Halidon ball; and in due course I received a card
for it. I was not a frequenter of balls, and had no intention of going
to this one; but when the day came some obscure impulse moved me to set
aside my rule, and toward midnight I presented myself at Ned's
illuminated portals.

I shall never forget his look when I accosted him on the threshold of
the big new ballroom. With celibate egoism I had rather fancied he
would be gratified by my departure from custom; but one glance showed
me my mistake. He smiled warmly, indeed, and threw into his hand-clasp
an artificial energy of welcome--"You of all people--my dear fellow!
Have you seen Daisy?"--but the look behind the smile made me feel cold
in the crowded room.

Nor was Mrs. Halidon's greeting calculated to restore my circulation.
"Have you come to spy on us?" her frosty smile seemed to say; and I
crept home early, wondering if she had not found me out.

It was the following week that Halidon turned up one day in my office.
He looked pale and thinner, and for the first time I noticed a dash of
gray in his hair. I was startled at the change in him, but I reflected
that it was nearly a year since we had looked at each other by
daylight, and that my shaving-glass had doubtless a similar tale to
tell.

He fidgeted about the office, told me a funny story about his little
boy, and then dropped into a chair.

"Look here," he said, "I want to go into business."

"Business?" I stared.

"Well, why not? I suppose men have gone to work, even at my age, and
not made a complete failure of it. The fact is, I want to make some
money." He paused, and added: "I've heard of an opportunity to pick up
for next to nothing a site for the Academy, and if I could lay my hands
on a little cash--"

"Do you want to speculate?" I interposed.

"Heaven forbid! But don't you see that, if I had a fixed job--so much a
quarter--I could borrow the money and pay it off gradually?"

I meditated upon this astounding proposition. "Do you really think it's
wise to buy a site before--"

"Before what?"

"Well--seeing ahead a little?"

His face fell for a moment, but he rejoined cheerfully: "It's an
exceptional chance, and after all, I _shall_ see ahead if I can get
regular work. I can put by a little every month, and by and bye, when