an," Mr. Bullsom said, "whom I like so much or think
so much of as Mr. Brooks. If I'd a son like that I'd be a proud man.
And as we're here all alone, just the family, as it were, I'll go on to
say this," Mr. Bullsom continued, his right thumb finding its way to
the armhole of his waistcoat. "I'm going to drop a hint at the first
opportunity I get, quite casually, that whichever of you girls gets
married first gets a cheque from me for one hundred thousand pounds."

Even Selina was staggered. Mrs. Bullsom was positively frightened.

"Mr. Bullsom!" she said. "Peter, you ain't got as much as that? Don't
tell me!"

"I am worth to-day," Mr. Bullsom said, solemnly, "at least five hundred
thousand pounds."

"Peter," Mrs. Bullsom gasped, "has it been come by honest?"

Mr. Bullsom smiled in a superior way.

"I made it," he answered, "by locking up forty thousand, more than half
of what I was worth, for five years. But I knew what I was about, and
so did the others. Mason made nearly as much as I did."

Selina looked at her father with a new respect. He rose and brushed the
ashes of his cigar from his waistcoat.

"Now I'm off," he declared. "Brooks and I will be back about seven, and
I shall try and get him to sleep here. Fix yourselves up quiet and
ladylike, you girls. Good-bye, mother."

* * * * *

"We have about an hour before dinner," Mr. Bullsom remarked, sinking
into his most comfortable chair and lighting a cigar. "Just time for a
comfortable chat. You'll smoke, Brooks, won't you?"

Brooks excused himself, and remained standing upon the hearthrug, his
elbow upon the mantelpiece. He hated this explanation he had to make.
However, it was no good in beating about the bush.

"I am going to surprise you very much, Mr. Bullsom," he began.

Mr. Bullsom took the cigar from his mouth and looked up with wide-open
eyes. He had been preparing graciously to wave away a torrent of
thanks.

"I am going to surprise you very much," Brooks repeated. "I cannot
accept this magnificent offer of yours. I cannot express my gratitude
sufficiently to you, or to the committee. Nothing would have made me
happier than to have been able to accept it. But I am absolutely
powerless."

"You don't funk it?" Mr. Bullsom asked.

"Not I. The fact is, there are circumstances connected with myself which
make it inadvisable for me to seek any public position at present."

Mr. Bullsom's first sensations of asto