entirely in the shade, and duly impress not only Wankelo
but Rhodesia and, incidentally, Lundi Druro. For, after several weeks
of close intercourse with the latter, she had come to the conclusion
that she might do very much worse than marry him. More, she actually
desired to do so. The stimulus of his insouciant gaiety and
originality, good looks and unfailingly good spirits had come to be a
necessary part of her existence. She needed him now, like a bracing
cocktail she had grown used to taking so many times a day and could no
longer do without. Besides, the Leopard was panning out well, at the
rate of a thousand pounds sterling per month, and had the prospect of
doing far better.

These were good enough reasons for Mrs. Hading's decision that Druro,
as well as Wankelo, should be impressed by the finished splendour and
grace of her "little jolly." She intended to show him that, when it
came to choosing a wife who could spend his thousands graciously and to
the best effect, he could never do better than Marice Hading. To which
end, she concentrated her whole mind on the purpose of making her
entertainment a complete and conspicuous success.

A little group of those people whom she favoured with her intimacy were
called into council, theoretically to help her with advice, though in
practice she needed little of them but admiring applause. They met
every morning in a corner of the lounge which, by introducing her own
flowers, books, and cushions, she had made peculiarly hers. Here over
morning tea the plans for her "jolly" were projected and perfected, and
here were always to be found Berlie Hallett and her mother, Cora Lisle,
Johnny Doran, Major Maturin, and one or two lesser but useful lights.

Druro, though he did little more than decorate the assembly with his
good-tempered smile, was a most necessary feature of it, and Dick Tryon
was more often than not to be found there also, though whether he came
to scoff or bless, no one was quite certain. His position in the
circle of Mrs. Hading's satellites had never been clearly defined. He
was supposed by some people to be hopelessly in love with Gay
Liscannon, and that supposition alone was enough to make Marice Hading
anxious to attach him to her personal staff. Besides, he was an
interesting man and a clever lawyer--always a useful combination in a
friend. At any rate, he was one of those who helped to applaud the
programme of Mrs. Hading's jolly, which sh