you'd skulked, and were nearly going to take
Culver after all, when I promised to find you, and bring you. They're
waiting for you now."

"Awfully sorry, Braider," said Dick, in an embarrassed way. "I can't
come."

"Can't come, you ass! What do you mean?"

This was just what Dick wanted. As long as Braider was civil, Dick had
to be rational, but as soon as Braider began to threaten, Dick could let
out a bit, and relieve his feelings.

"Look here! who are you calling an ass?" said he, starting up.

Fortunately for the peace, Cresswell at that moment entered the study.

"Hallo!" said he, looking round, "make yourselves at home in my study,
youngsters. Can't you ask a few friends in as well? What's the row?"

"Braider's the row," said Dick; "I want him to cut, and he won't. He
wants me to--"

"All right," said Braider, in sudden concern, lest the secret of the
"Sociables" was to be divulged, "I'll cut. And don't you forget, young
Richardson, what you've promised."

"Of course I shan't," said Dick.

The select "Sociables" sat in congress to a late hour that night. What
passed, no one outside that worthy body exactly knew. But Braider, on
the whole, had a busy time of it.

He did not visit Dick again, but he interviewed both Culver and
Heathcote, and was extremely confidential with each. And both Culver
and Heathcote, after preparation, lounged outside the door, as Dick had
lounged two hours before. And the two loungers, neither of them
fancying the intrusion of the other, came to words, and from words
proceeded to personalities, and from personalities to blows.

And as, in the course of the combat, Heathcote made a mighty onslaught
and caught his enemy round the body and wrestled a fall with him on the
threshold of the "Sociable" door, it so happened that the door, not
being securely latched, gave way beneath the weight of the two
combatants, and swinging suddenly open, precipitated them both on to the
floor of the apartment, just as the Club was proceeding to record its
votes.

Be it said to their credit, the select "Sociables" had a soul above mere
routine, and seeing the contest was even, and that blood was up on both
sides, they adjourned the business and hospitably invited the two
candidates to fight it out there and then.

Which the two candidates did, with the result that, on the whole,
Heathcote got rather less of the worst of it than Culver. Then, having
politely ejected them both, t