the trouble of erecting barriers
against too intimate intercourse with his cousin. Providence, awaking
suddenly as it would seem, to the perils of his position, had already
seen to all that. For since he went forth, hot-eyed and hot-headed,
into the blank chill of the fog, the company at Brockhurst--as Powell
announced to him--had suffered large and unlooked-for increase. Ludovic
Quayle was the first of the self-invited guests to appear when Richard
was settled in the dining-room. He sauntered up to the head of the
table with his accustomed air of slightly supercilious inquiry, as of
one who expects to meet little save fools and foolishness, yet suffers
these gladly, being quite secure of his own wisdom.

"How are you, Dickie?" he said. "Fairly robust I hope, for the
Philistines are upon you. Still it might have been worse. I have done
what I could. My father, who has never grasped that there is an element
of comedy in the numerical strength of his family, wished to bring us
over a party of eight. But I stopped that. Four, as I tried to make him
comprehend, touched the limits of social decency. He didn't comprehend.
He rarely does. But he yielded, which was more to the point perhaps.
Understand though, we didn't propose to add surprise to the other
doubtful blessings of our descent on you. I wrote to you yesterday, but
it appears you went out at some unearthly hour this morning superior
alike to the state of the weather and arrival of your letters."

"Fine thing going out early---excellent thing going out early. Very
glad to see you, Calmady, and very kind indeed of you and Lady Calmady
to take us in in this friendly way and show us hospitality at such
short notice----"

This from Lord Fallowfeild--a remarkably tall, large, and handsome
person. He affected a slightly antiquated style of dress, with a
sporting turn to it,--coats of dust colour or gray, notably long as to
the skirts, well fitted at the waist, the surface of them traversed by
heavy seams. His double chin rested within the points of a high, white
collar, and was further supported by voluminous, black, satin stock.
His face, set in soft, gray hair and gray whisker, brushed well
forward, suggested that of a benign and healthy infant--an infant, it
may be added, possessed of a small and particularly pretty mouth. Save
in actual stature, indeed, his lordship had never quite succeeded in
growing up. Very full of the milk of human kindness, he earnestly
wishe