been robbed--stripped. It's in the
evening papers.'

Rolfe went on into the smoking-room, and read the report of his
friend's misfortune. The Carnabys occupied a house in Hamilton Terrace.
During their absence from home last night, there had been a clean sweep
of all such things of value as could easily be removed. The
disappearance of their housekeeper, and the fact that this woman had
contrived the absence of the servants from nine o'clock till midnight,
left no mystery in the matter. The clubmen talked of it with amusement.
Hard lines, to be sure, for Carnaby, and yet harder for his wife, who
had lost no end of jewellery; but the thing was so neatly and
completely done, one must needs laugh. One or two husbands who enjoyed
the luxury of a housekeeper betrayed their uneasiness. A discussion
arose on the characteristics of housekeepers in general, and spread
over the vast subject of domestic management, not often debated at the
Metropolitan Club. In general talk of this kind Rolfe never took part;
smoking his pipe, he listened and laughed, and was at moments
thoughtful. Cecil Morphew, rapidly consuming cigarettes as he lay back
in a soft chair, pointed the moral of the story in favour of humble
domesticity.

In half an hour, his guest having taken leave, Rolfe put on his
overcoat, and stepped out into the cold, clammy November night. He was
overtaken by a fellow Metropolitan--a grizzled, scraggy-throated,
hollow-eyed man, who laid a tremulous hand upon his arm.

'Excuse me, Mr. Rolfe, have you seen Frothingham recently?'

'Not for a month.'

'Ah! I thought perhaps--I was wondering what he thought about the
Colebrook smash. To tell you the truth, I've heard unpleasant rumours.
Do you--should you think the Colebrook affair would affect the
"Britannia" in any way?'

It was not the first time that this man had confided his doubts and
timidities to Harvey Rolfe; he had a small, but to him important,
interest in Bennet Frothingham's wide-reaching affairs, and seemed to
spend most of his time in eliciting opinion on the financier's
stability.

'Wouldn't you be much more comfortable,' said Rolfe, rather bluntly,
'if you had your money in some other kind of security?'

'Ah, but, my dear sir, twelve and a half per cent--twelve and a half! I
hold preference shares of the original issue.'

'Then I'm afraid you must take your chance.'

'But,' piped the other in alarm, 'you don't mean that--'

'I mean nothing, and kno