re's no House, and no one asks one to
dinner in town. In fact, if one didn't go away one wouldn't know what
to do. There were ever so many people there that I liked to meet.
Lady Glencora was there, and uncommon pleasant she made it. That
woman has more to say for herself than any half-dozen men that I
know. And Lord Cantrip, your chief, was there. He said a word or two
to me about you."

"What sort of a word?"

"He says he wishes you would read up some blue-books, or papers, or
reports, or something of that kind, which he says that some of his
fellows have sent you. It seems that there are some new rules, or
orders, or fashions, which he wants you to have at your fingers'
ends. Nothing could be more civil than he was,--but he just wished
me to mention this, knowing that you and I are likely to see each
other."

"I wish I had never come over," said Sir Marmaduke.

"Why so?"

"They didn't bother me with their new rules and fashions over there.
When the papers came somebody read them, and that was enough. I could
do what they wanted me to do there."

"And so you will here,--after a bit."

"I'm not so sure of that. Those young fellows seem to forget that
an old dog can't learn new tricks. They've got a young brisk fellow
there who seems to think that a man should be an encyclopedia of
knowledge because he has lived in a colony over twenty years."

"That's the new under-secretary."

"Never mind who it is. Osborne, just come up to the library, will
you? I want to speak to you." Then Sir Marmaduke, with considerable
solemnity, led the way up to the most deserted room in the club, and
Colonel Osborne followed him, well knowing that something was to be
said about Emily Trevelyan.

Sir Marmaduke seated himself on a sofa, and his friend sat close
beside him. The room was quite deserted. It was four o'clock in
the afternoon, and the club was full of men. There were men in the
morning-room, and men in the drawing-room, and men in the card-room,
and men in the billiard-room; but no better choice of a chamber for
a conference intended to be silent and secret could have been made
in all London than that which had induced Sir Marmaduke to take his
friend into the library of "The Acrobats." And yet a great deal of
money had been spent in providing this library for "The Acrobats."
Sir Marmaduke sat for awhile silent, and had he sat silent for an
hour, Colonel Osborne would not have interrupted him. Then, at last,
he began,