"Then the man's a madman!" pronounced Rohscheimer conclusively.

"Pity he doesn't have a cut at London!" came Denby's voice.

"Is it?" growled the previous speaker. "Don't you believe it! A maniac
like that would mean ruination for business if he was allowed to get
away with it!"

"Ah, well!" yawned Sheard, standing up and glancing at his watch, "you
may be right. Anyway, I've got a report to put in. I'm off!"

"Me, too!" said the financier thickly. "Come on, Haredale. We're overdue
at Park Lane! It's time we were on view in Park Lane, Adeler!"

The tide of our narrative setting in that direction, it will be well if
we, too, look in at the Rohscheimer establishment. We shall find
ourselves in brilliant company.

Julius's harshest critics were forced to concede that the house in Park
Lane was a focus of all smart society. Yet smart society felt oddly ill
at ease in the salon of Mrs. Julius Rohscheimer. Nobody knew whether the
man to whom he might be talking at the moment were endeavouring to
arrange a mortgage with Rohscheimer; whether the man's wife had fallen
in arrears with her interest--to the imminent peril of the family
necklace; or whether the man had simply dropped in because others of his
set did so, and because, being invited, he chanced to have nothing
better to do.

These things did not add to the gaiety of the entertainments, but of
their brilliancy there could be no possible doubt.

Jewish society was well represented, and neither at Streeter's nor
elsewhere could a finer display of diamonds be viewed than upon one of
Mrs. Rohscheimer's nights. The lady had enjoyed some reputation as a
hostess before the demise of her first husband had led her to seek
consolation in the arms (and in the cheque-book) of the financier. So
the house in Park Lane was visited by the smartest people--to the mutual
satisfaction of host and hostess.

"Where's the Dook?" inquired the former, peering over a gilded
balustrade at the throng below. They had entered, unseen, by a private
stair.

"I understand," replied Haredale, "that the Duke is unfortunately
indisposed."

"Never turns up!" growled Rohscheimer.

"Never likely to!" was Haredale's mental comment; but, his situation
being a delicate one, he diplomatically replied, "We have certainly been
unfortunate in that respect."

Haredale--one of the best-known men in town--worked as few men work to
bring the right people to the house in Park Lane (and to save his