p-stairs, blowing out his red cheeks and
beating his cold hands together with considerable energy. Going to the
fire, he stood on the hearthrug warming his palms and making
perfunctory inquiries after Lawrence and Phoebe and their child.

"How do you think I'm looking?" he demanded, suddenly facing Carrissima.

"Splendid," she answered. "I don't think I have ever seen you looking
better."

"Well, I never felt better," he exclaimed, putting back his shoulders
and puffing out his chest. "Never in the whole course of my life.
Nobody at the hotel would believe I was anything like my age--fifty or
fifty-five at the outside. Upon my soul, I can scarcely believe it
myself. I can give a start to a good many youngsters yet. Not too
much soda-water, Knight," he added, when the whisky and the syphon were
brought in. "What's been happening while I've been away?" he asked,
alone again with Carrissima.

"I wonder," she suggested, "whether you remember our holiday at
Crowborough some years ago?"

"Remember it--of course I remember it. Do you think I'm in my dotage.
You make an immense mistake. My memory was never better. I will back
it against yours any day."

"Then you haven't forgotten Mr. Rosser----"

"Rosser!" cried Colonel Faversham. "A shortish man with a red beard
and an invalid wife: wrote twaddling novels. I tried to read one of
them--couldn't get through it. He played a devilish good game all the
same. What about him?"

"I have met his daughter," said Carrissima, and, in reply to her
father's demand for further information, she told him all she knew
about Bridget; how that she had made Mark Driver late for dinner; how
that, after some dubitation, a visit had been paid to Golfney Place,
and duly returned.

On learning that Bridget was good to look upon and only a few months
older that Carrissima, Colonel Faversham blinked his eyes and fingered
his large grey moustache. He took a cigar from his case by and by,
Carrissima trying to stifle her yawns while he talked about golf and
described some of his hands at bridge. To illustrate his skill, he
made her bring some cards, and, sweeping clear a space on the table,
kept her up until past midnight.

Colonel Faversham always came to breakfast with brisk and almost
aggressive robustness. He had an enormous appetite, and when this was
at last satisfied, it was his custom to retire with the newspaper to
his smoking-room until eleven o'clock. The morning w