if I had
been willing to attack him then, I hardly had the chance. Godfrey was
up with us at half-past ten. He wanted to take Conroy on a personally
conducted tour round the objects of interest in the neighbourhood.
Conroy said he wanted to go to the house of a man called Crossan who
lived somewhere near us, and would be very glad if Godfrey would act
as guide. It is a remarkable proof of Godfrey's great respect for
millionaires that he consented to show Conroy the way to Crossan's
house. They went off together, and I saw no more of Conroy till
dinner-time.

He deliberately avoided my garden-party, although Godfrey had
explained to him the night before that my guests would be "quite the
funniest lot of bounders to be found anywhere."

The Pringles must have been disappointed at not meeting Conroy. Miss
Pringle, whose name I found out was Tottie, looked quite pretty in a
pink dress, and smiled almost as nicely as she did when Bob Power took
her to gather strawberries. Mrs. Pringle asked Godfrey to dine with
them that night, and Tottie looked at him out of the corner of her
eyes so as to show him that she would be pleased if he accepted the
invitation. Pringle himself joined in pressing Godfrey. I suppose he
must really have believed in the salary which Godfrey expected to get
from Conroy.

Godfrey promised to dine with them. He explained his position to me
afterwards.

"I needn't tell you, Excellency," he said, "that I don't want to go
there. I shall get a rotten bad dinner and Mrs. Pringle is a rank
outsider."

"Miss Pringle," I said, "seems a pleasant girl. She's certainly
pretty."

"Poor little Tottie!" said Godfrey. "That sort of girl isn't bad fun
sometimes; but I wouldn't put up with boiled mutton just for the sake
of a kiss or two from her. The fact is--"

"Your banking account," I said.

"That's it," said Godfrey. "Pringle's directors have been writing
rather nasty letters lately. It's perfectly all right, of course, and
I told him so; but all the same it's better to accept his invitation."

Godfrey is the most unmitigated blackguard I've ever met.

"I hardly see Tottie Pringle as the next Lady Kilmore," said Godfrey;
"but, of course, that's the game."

I do not believe it. Tottie Pringle--I do not for a moment believe
that she ever allowed Godfrey to kiss her--does not look the kind of
girl who--

"You'll make my excuses to Conroy, won't you, Excellency? Tell him--"

"What is the exact amount