e saw him far
down on the pavement below step into his brougham, pausing for a moment
to light a cigarette. And half-an-hour later he walked with elastic
tread into Mr. Ascough's office.

Mr. Ascough greeted him with an inquiring smile. Lord Arranmore
nodded and sat down.

"You were quite right," he announced. "The tongues of men or of angels
wouldn't move her. Never mind. She's going to use the money for
charity."

"Well, that's something, at any rate," Mr. Ascough remarked.

"The eloquence," Lord Arranmore said, lazily, "which I have wasted upon
that young woman would entrance the House of Lords. By the bye,
Ascough, I am going to take my seat next week."

"I am delighted to hear it, your lordship."

"Yes, it's good news for the country, isn't it?" Lord Arranmore
remarked. "I have not quite decided what my particular line shall be,
but I have no doubt but that the papers will all be calling me a welcome
addition to that august assembly before long. I believe that's what's
the matter with me. I want to make a speech. Do you remember me at the
Bar, Ascough? Couldn't keep me down, could they?"

Mr. Ascough smiled.

"You were rather fond of being on your feet!" he admitted.

Lord Arranmore sighed regretfully.

"And to think that I might have been Lord High Chancellor by now," he
remarked. "Good-bye, Ascough."

* * * * *

Later, at the reception of a Cabinet Minister, Lord Arranmore came
across Hennibul talking with half-a-dozen other men. He detached himself
at once.

"This is odd," he remarked, with a whimsical smile. "What the dickens
are you doing in this respectable household, Arranmore? You look like a
lost sheep."

Lord Arranmore shrugged his shoulders.

"I've decided to go in for something," he said; "politics or society or
something of that sort. What do you recommend?"

"Supper!" Mr. Hennibul answered, promptly.

"Come on then," Lord Arranmore assented. "One of those little tables in
the far room, eh?"

"The pate here is delicious," Mr. Hennibul said; "but for Heaven's sake
leave the champagne alone." "There's some decent hock. You'll excuse my
pointing out these little things to you, but, of course, you don't know
the runs yet. I'll give you a safe tip while I'm about it. The
Opposition food is beastly, but the wine is all right--Pommery and
Heidsieck, most of it, and the right years. The Government food now is
good, but the wine, especially the champagne, i