, and
was looking about him for someone to whom he could confide his
incriminating intelligence against Lord Henry.

"All alone?" cried Mrs. Delarayne, coming towards him. "My word, how hot
you look!"

"Vanessa and Tribe are close behind," he said; "they'll be here in a
minute. Where are the others?"

"Cleopatra, Agatha, Agnes, and Guy have just come in," replied the
widow. "But where's Leonetta?"

"She's somewhere," he said indifferently. "Lost her bangle or
something." And he passed on, making towards the smoking-room, the door
of which was open.

Evidently Mrs. Delarayne was not to be his confidante, and, as he
vanished behind the glass doors, she wondered what his strange manner
could signify.

There was no one in the smoking-room, and he moved on into the lounge.

Sir Joseph was there, sipping an _aperitif_ with Guy, and sitting
around them were Miss Mallowcoid and the first arrivals, still clad in
their mackintoshes. They were all discussing the arrangement for some
rabbit shooting in the afternoon. Sir Joseph wanted the rabbits for his
men in Lombard Street.

Cleopatra and everyone looked up as Denis entered.

"Well?" enquired Guy, "did you find the bangle?"

Denis braced himself for a great effort and, smiling with as much good
humour as he could muster, helped himself to a glass of sherry.

"Yes, what about the bangle?" Stephen exclaimed.

"When I last saw them," Denis observed with creditable composure, "they
were too busy kissing to be able to find any bangle."

As he pronounced these words he glanced furtively at Cleopatra, but
although he noticed that she winced, he was not a little surprised to
see how collected and serene she remained. Did she perhaps think he was
lying?

"They were what?" cried Miss Mallowcoid.

"Too busy, kissing,--kissing," Sir Joseph repeated.

The spinster rose.

"Rubbish!" cried Stephen. "He's only joking, Miss Mallowcoid."

"Of course!" interjected Mrs. Tribe.

"Well, what of it?" Sir Joseph exclaimed, "even if they were."

"But who, who were kissing?" the old spinster demanded, going up to
Denis.

Denis laid his empty glass upon the tray and walked quietly out. Miss
Mallowcoid evidently taking his departure as a hint, followed close
behind.

In the smoking-room he turned and faced her.

"What is all this about?" she enquired.

"Well, I don't know what you think," said Denis with tremendous gravity;
"but really, when a man close on forty, not only e