people choose to proceed against him, they'll make
him pay swinging damages; that is all."

Archie did not like this idea at all, and became more than ever intent
on his own matrimonial prospects. He almost thought that he had a right
to Lady Ongar's money, and he certainly did think that a monstrous
injustice was done to him by this idea of a marriage between her and his
cousin. "I mean to ask her as I've gone so far, certainly," said he.

"You can do as you like about that."

"Yes; of course I can do as I like; but when a fellow has gone in for a
thing, he likes to see it through." He was still thinking of the seventy
pounds which he had invested, and which he could now recover only out of
Lady Ongar's pocket.

"And you mean to say that you won't come to Norway?"

"Well; if she accepts me--"

"If she accepts you," said Hugh, "of course you can't come; but
supposing she don't?"

"In that case, I might as well do that as anything else," said Archie.
Whereupon Sir Hugh signified to Jack Stuart that Archie would join the
party, and went down to Clavering with no misgiving on that head.

Some few days after this there was another little dinner at the military
club, to which no one was admitted but Archie and his friend Doodles.
Whenever these prandial consultations were held, Archie paid the bill.
There were no spoken terms to that effect, but the regulation seemed to
come naturally to both of them. Why should Doodles be taken from his
billiards half-an-hour earlier than usual, and devote a portion of the
calculating powers of his brain to Archie's service without
compensation? And a richer vintage was needed when so much thought was
required, the burden of which Archie would not of course allow to fall
on his friend's shoulders. Were not this explained, the experienced
reader would regard the devoted friendship of Doodles as exaggerated.

"I certainly shall ask her to-morrow," said Archie, looking with a
thoughtful cast of countenance through the club window into the street.
"It may be hurrying the matter a little, but I can't help that." He
spoke in a somewhat boastful tone, as though he were proud of himself
and had forgotten that he had said the same words once or twice before.

"Make her know that you're there; that's everything," said Doodles.
"Since I fathomed that woman in Mount Street, I've felt that you must
make the score off your own bat, if you're to make it at all."

"You did that well," said Arc