nerally making an ass of herself. Oh! he won't ask any of us to his
wedding--trust him. It is a rum business. You know Willie Ffolliot--that
queer dark fellow--that used to be in the 10th Hussars--did all those
wild things in the Soudan?"

"Yes--slightly."

"I heard all about it from him. He was one of that gambling set at
Harry's club there's been all that talk about you know, since Harry came
to grief. Well!--he was going along Piccadilly one night last summer,
quite late, between eleven and twelve, when Harry caught hold of him
from behind. Willie thought he was out of his mind, or drunk. He told me
he never saw anybody in such a queer state in his life. 'You come along
with me,' said Harry, 'come and talk to me, or I shall shoot myself!' So
Willie asked him what was up. 'I'm engaged to be married,' said Harry.
Whereupon Willie remarked that, considering his manner and his
appearance, he was sorry for the young lady. '_Young_!' said Harry as
though he would have knocked him down. And then it came out that he had
just--that moment!--engaged himself to Lady Selina. And it was the very
same day that he got into that precious mess in the House--the _very
same night_! I suppose he went to her to be comforted, and thought he'd
pull something off, anyway! Why she took him! But of course she's no
chicken, and old Alresford may die any day. And about the bribery
business--I suppose he made her think him an injured innocent. Anyway,
he talked to Willie, when they got to his rooms, like a raving lunatic,
and you know he was always such a cool hand. 'Ffolliot,' he said, 'can
you come with me to Siam next week?' 'How much?' said Will. 'I thought
you were engaged to Lady Selina.' Then he swore little oaths, and vowed
he had told her he must have a year. 'We'll go and explore those temples
in Siam,' he said, and then he muttered something about 'Why should I
ever come back?' Presently he began to talk of the strike--and the
paper--and the bribe, and all the rest of it, making out a long
rigmarole story. Oh! of course he'd done everything for the best--trust
him!--and everybody else was a cur and a slanderer. And Ffolliot
declared he felt quite pulpy--the man was such a wreck; and he said he'd
go with him to Siam, or anywhere else, if he'd only cheer up. And they
got out the maps, and Harry began to quiet down, and at last Will got
him to bed. Fanny says Ffolliot reports he had great difficulty in
dragging him home. However, Lady S