ood night."

He went back to say good night to Lady Northgate.

"You played it rather low down upon me, didn't you?" he remarked.

"My dear Drake, what could I do?" she exclaimed. "That poor little woman
was so terribly anxious to gain your good will. She didn't understand in
the least the harm she was doing you. And what will you do? She is
immensely rich--her father was an American millionaire----"

Drake's face hardened. One thing at least he knew he couldn't do: he
could not bring himself to accept charity from Lady Angleford. Lady
Northgate understood the frown.

"Don't kill me before all these people, Drake!" she said. "I dare say
it's very silly of me, but I can't help plotting for your welfare. You
see, I am foolish enough to be rather fond of you. There! Go down and
drink that soda and whisky with Harry. If you won't let your friends
help you, what will you do?"

"I give it up; ask me another. Don't you worry about me, my dear lady; I
shall jog along somehow."

CHAPTER XI.

The next morning, while at breakfast, he received a little note from
Lady Angleford, asking him to dinner that night. It was a charming
little note, as pleading and deprecating as her eyes had been when she
looked at him at the Northgates'.

Drake sent back word that he would be delighted to come, and at eight
o'clock presented himself at his uncle's house in Park Lane. Lord
Angleford was, like Northgate, detained in London by official business.
He was a very fine specimen of the old kind of Tory, and, though well
advanced in years, still extremely good-looking--the whole family was
favored in that way--and remarkably well preserved. His hair was white,
but his eyes were bright and his cheeks ruddy, and, when free from the
gout, he was as active as a young man. Of course, he was hot-tempered;
all gouty men are; but he was as charming in his way as Lady Angleford,
and extremely popular in the House of Lords, and out of it.

Though he had fallen in love with a pretty little American, perhaps he
would not have married her but for the little tiff with Drake; but that
little tiff had just turned the scale, and, though he had taken the step
in a moment of pique, he had not regretted it; for he was very fond and
proud of his wife. But he was also very fond and proud of Drake, and was
extremely pleased when Lady Angleford had told him that she had met
Drake, and was going to ask him to dinner.

"Oh, all right," he had said. "I s