yed intentness
at Thorpe, as he advanced, and somewhat spasmodically put out his hand.

It occurred to Thorpe not to see this hand. "How are you!" he repeated
in a more mechanical voice, and withdrew his smile. Lord Plowden
fidgeted on his feet for a brief, embarrassed interval before the desk,
and then dropped into a chair at its side. With a deliberate effort at
nonchalance, he crossed his legs, and caressed the ankle on his knee
with a careless hand. "Anything new?" he asked.

Thorpe lolled back in his arm-chair. "I'm going to be able to get away
in a few days' time," he said, indifferently. "I expect to finally wind
up the business on the Stock Exchange tomorrow."

"Ah--yes," commented Plowden, vacantly. He seemed to be searching after
thoughts which had wandered astray. "Yes--of course."

"Yes--of course," Thorpe said after him, with a latent touch of
significance.

The other looked up quickly, then glanced away again. "It's all going as
you expected, is it?" he asked.

"Better than I expected," Thorpe told him, energetically. "Much better
than anybody expected."

"Hah!" said Plowden. After a moment's reflection he went on
hesitatingly: "I didn't know. I saw something in one of the papers this
morning,--one of the money articles,--which spoke as if there were some
doubt about the result. That's why I called."

"Well--it's damned good of you to come round, and show such a friendly
interest." Thorpe's voice seemed candid enough, but there was an
enigmatic something in his glance which aroused the other's distrust.

"I'm afraid you don't take very much stock in the 'friendly interest,'"
he said, with a constrained little laugh.

"I'm not taking stock in anything new just now," replied Thorpe, lending
himself lazily to the other's metaphor. "I'm loaded up to the gunnels
already."

A minute of rather oppressive silence ensued. Then Plowden ventured upon
an opening. "All the same, it WAS with an idea of,--perhaps being of use
to you,--that I came here," he affirmed. "In what way?" Thorpe put the
query almost listlessly.

Lord Plowden turned his hands and let his dark eyes sparkle in a gesture
of amiable uncertainty. "That depended upon what was needed. I got the
impression that you were in trouble--the paper spoke as if there were
no doubt of it--and I imagined that quite probably you would be glad to
talk with me about it."

"Quite right," said Thorpe. "So I should."

This comprehensive assurance seeme