cnaughton leanings.

"I do hope they'll adopt you!" I cried fervently.

"So do I," murmured Lola in her low notes.

"If they don't," said Dale, "I'll ask Raggles to give me an unpaid
billet somewhere. But," he added, with a sigh, "that will be an awful
rotten game in comparison."

"I'm afraid you won't make Raggles hum," said I.

He laughed, rose and straddled across the hearthrug, his back to the
fire.

"He'd throw me out if I tried, wouldn't he? But if they do adopt me--I
swear I'll make you proud of me, Simon. I'll stick my soul into it. It's
the least I can do in this horrid cuckoo sort of proceeding, and I feel
I shall be fighting for you as well as for myself. My dear old chap, you
know what I mean, don't you?"

I knew, and was touched. I wished him God-speed with all my heart.
He was a clean, honest, generous gentleman, and I admired, loved and
respected him as he stood there full of his youth and hope. I suddenly
felt quite old and withered at the root of my being, like some decrepit
king who hands his crown to the young prince. I rose to take my
leave (for what advantage was there in staying?) and felt that I was
abandoning to Dale other things beside my crown.

Lola's strong, boneless hand closed round mine in a more enveloping grip
than ever. She looked at me appealingly.

"Shall I see you again before you go?"

"Before you go?" cried Dale. "Where are you off to?"

"Somewhere south, out of the fogs."

"When?"

"At once," said I.

He turned to our hostess. "We can't let him go like that. I wonder if
you could fix up a little dinner here, Lola, for the three of us. It
would be ripping, so cosy, you know."

He glowed with the preposterous inspiration. Lola began politely:

"Of course, if Mr. de Gex----"

"It would be delightful," said I, "but I'm starting at once--to-morrow
or the day after. We will have the dinner when I come back and you are a
full-blown Member of Parliament."

I made my escape and fled to my own cheerful library. It is oak-panelled
and furnished with old oak, and the mezzo-tints on the walls are mellow.
Of the latter, I have a good collection, among them a Prince Rupert of
which I am proud. I threw myself, a tired man, into an armchair by the
fire, and rang the bell for a brandy and soda. Oh, the comfort of the
rooms, the comfort of Rogers, the comfort of the familiar backs of the
books in the shelves! I felt loth to leave it all and go vagabonding
about the cold world