t, across a sloping lawn, over the Solent, and for that
purpose he had caused himself to be clad in a suit of blue serge. He
looked the veteran yachtsman to perfection--he could look anything in
its season--but he did his yachting from the shore--by preference from
the drawing-room window.

"One must keep up with the times, John," replied the lady, daintily
dipping her quill.

"And 'the times' fills its house from roof to cellar with people who
behave as if they were in a hotel. Some of them--say number five on
the first floor, number eleven on the second, or some of the atticated
relatives--announce at breakfast that they will not be home to lunch.
Another says he cannot possibly return to dinner at half-past seven, and
so on. 'The times' expects a great deal for its money, and does not even
allow one to keep the small change of civility."

Lady Cantourne was blotting vigorously.

"I admit," she answered, "that the reaction is rather strong; reactions
are always stronger than they intend to be. In our early days the
formalities were made too much of; now they are--"

"Made into a social hash," he suggested, when she paused for a word,
"where the prevailing flavour is the common onion of commerce! Now, I'll
wager any sum that that is an invitation to some one you do not care a
screw about."

"It is. But, Sir John, the hash must be kept moving; cold hash is not
palatable. I will tell you at once, I am inviting young Semoor to fill
the vacancy caused by Mr. Oscard's departure."

"Ah! Mr. Oscard proposes depriving us of his--society."

"He leaves to-morrow. He only came to say good-bye."

"He moves on--to some other hostelry?"

"No! He is going to--"

She paused, so that Sir John was forced to turn in courteous inquiry and
look her in the face.

"Africa!" she added sharply, never taking her bright eyes from his face.

She saw the twitching of the aged lips before his hand got there to hide
them. She saw his eyes fall before her steady gaze, and she pitied him
while she admired his uncompromising pride.

"Indeed!" he said. "I have reason to believe," he added, turning to the
window again, "that there is a great future before that country; all the
intellect of Great Britain seems to be converging in its direction."

Since his departure Jack's name had never been mentioned, even between
these two whose friendship dated back a generation. Once or twice Sir
John had made a subtle passing reference to him, such