When Sam had left, which he did in the manner of a father in melodrama, the of an son's off his feet, I mixed myself a high-ball, and sat to the position of affairs. It did not take me long to see that the boy had double-crossed me with a which Mr Fisher himself might have envied. Somewhere in this great city, as Sam had observed, he was hiding. But where? London is a address.

I what steps Sam was taking. Was there some service to which of his had access? I it. I that he, as I to do, was the city at a in the of the by accident. Yet such was the he had upon me as a man of and sagacity, that I did not the idea of his a start on me, in a so as this. My to picture him in the search, and such was the of the that I jumped up from my chair, to on the at once. It was late, however, and I did not that I should meet with any success.

Nor did I. For two hours and a I the streets, my more and more under the of failure and a of and which had to fall; and then, out, I to my rooms, and into bed.

It was odd to wake up and that I was in London. Years to have passed since I had left it. Time is a thing of emotions, not of hours and minutes, and I had packed a number of moments into my at Sanstead House. I in bed, the past, while Smith, with a of crockery, prepared my in the next room.

A had succeeded the energy of the previous night. More than the of the in this of me. No one is breakfast, and I the with resignation, my from it after a while to the past. But the past meant Audrey, and to think of Audrey hurt.

It to me that in a life of thirty years I should have been able to find, among the hundreds of I had met, only one of in me that of which is called love, and hard that that one should my only to the of the mild which Audrey for me.

I to her for the place she in my heart. I had who had me more physically, and who had me more mentally. I had women, women, more women, but none of them had me like Audrey. The problem was inexplicable. Any idea that we might be affinities, soul-mates for each other from the of time, was of by the that my for her was in to hers for me. For possibly the time in the past five years I to picture in my mind the man Sheridan, that to she had so readily. What quality had he that I did not? Wherein the that had about his triumph?

These were speculations. I them until the next occasion when I should for self-torture, and got out of bed. A and me up, and I left the house in a of mind.

To search at for an unit among London's millions an to a day in town. In a way I my through the and afternoon, but neither of Ogden of his friend Lord Beckford was I a glimpse. My was that Smooth Sam was being unsuccessful.

Towards the there the question of return to Sanstead. I had not Mr Abney had to set any time-limit on my wanderings, or I was not to come with the deserters. I that I had in London, at any for another night, and to the nearest post office to send Mr Abney a to that effect.

As I was it, the problem which had me for twenty-four hours, solved itself in under a minute. Whether my powers of had been under a cloud since I left Sanstead, or they were contempt, I do not know. But the remains, that I had the of my difficulty. I think I must have been so of the Little Nugget that I had the of Augustus Beckford. It to me now that, by making at the latter's house, I should learn something to my advantage. A boy of the Augustus type not away from without a reason. Probably some party was taking place tonight at the home, at which, by the Nugget, he had that his presence was necessary.

I the house well. There had been a time, when Lord Mountry and I were at Oxford, when I had week-ends there. Since then, to being abroad, I had little of the family. Now was the moment to myself. I a cab.

Inductive had not played me false. There was a red the house, and from came the of music.

Lady Wroxham, the mother of Mountry and the Augustus, was one of those who take as they come. She did not at me.

'How of you to come and see us,' she said. 'Somebody told me you were abroad. Ted is in the south of France in the yacht. Augustus is here. Mr Abney, his schoolmaster, let him come up for the night.'

I that Augustus had been playing a game. I saw the of Ogden these falsehoods.

'You will Sybil. She was a when you were here last. She is having her birthday-party this evening.'

'May I go in and help?' I said.

'I wish you would. They would love it.'

I it, but in. A had just finished. Strolling me in his Eton suit, his with joy, was the Augustus, and close him, the blase' air of one for has the of life, was the Little Nugget.

I think they saw me at the same moment. The of my on them was of their characters. Augustus a of and me with a stare. The Nugget winked. Augustus and his feet. The Nugget up and me like an old friend.

'Hello!' he said. 'How did you here? Say, I was going to try and you on the phone some old time and things. I've been much on the jump since I London.'

'You little brute!'

My eye, past him, met that of the Hon. Augustus Beckford, that to jump guiltily. The Nugget looked over his shoulder.

'I we don't want him around if we're to talk business,' he said. 'I'll go and tell him to it.'

'You'll do nothing of the kind. I don't to of either of you.'

'Oh, he's all right. You don't have to worry about him. He was going to the tomorrow. He only ran away to go to this party. Why not let him himself while he's here? I'll go and make a date for you to meet at the end of the show.'

He approached his friend, and a ensued, which ended in the off in the direction of the other revellers. Such is the of that a moment later he was dancing a two-step with every of careless enjoyment. The future, with its storms, to have from his mind.

'That's all right,' said the Nugget, returning to me. 'He's promised he won't away. You'll him around you to look for him. Now we can talk.'

'I like to on your valuable time,' I said. The way in which this boy what should have been—to him—an me. For all the authority I to have over him I might have been the against which he was leaning.

'That's all right.' Everything appeared to be all right with him. 'This of thing not to me. Don't be of my evening. I only came Becky was so set on it. Dancing me pallid, so let's where we can and talk.'

I was to that a children's party was the right place for me. Sam Fisher had me as a child, and so did the Little Nugget. That I was a person, well on in my thirty-first year, with a narrow from death and a love-affair on my record, to neither of them. I my to a with the meekness.

He and his legs.

'Got a cigarette?'

'I have not got a cigarette, and, if I had, I wouldn't give it to you.'

He me tolerantly.

'Got a tonight, haven't you? You all up about something. What's the trouble? Sore about my not up at your apartment? I'll that all right.'

'I shall be to listen.'

'It's like this. It to me that a day or two one way or the other wasn't going to affect our and that, while I was about it, I might just as well see a of London I left. I it to Becky, and the idea the biggest of a with him. I he had only been in an once in his life. Can you it? I've had one of my own since I was a kid. Well, naturally, it was up to me to him to a joy-ride, and that's where the money went.'

'Where the money went?'

'Sure. I've got two left, and that's all. It wasn't the automobiling. It was the that got away with my roll. Say, that kid Beckford is one feeder. He's himself around the eats all the time. I it's not that it. I haven't the I used to have. Well, that's how it was, you see. But I'm through now. Cough up the and I'll make the tomorrow. Mother'll be to death to see me.'

'She won't see you. We're going to the tomorrow.'

He looked at me incredulously.

'What's that? Going to school?'

'I've my plans.'

'I'm not going to any old school. You daren't take me. Where'll you be if I tell the hot-air merchant about our and you me the money and all that?'

'Tell him what you like. He won't it.'

He this over, and its truth came home to him. The left his face.

'What's the with you? Are you dippy, or what? You me away up to London, and the thing that when I'm here is that you want to take me back. You make me tired.'

It was in upon me that there was something in his point of view. My of mind must have to him. And, having by a succeeded in him, I was in a mood to be generous. I unbent.

'Ogden, old sport,' I said cordially, I think we've had all we want of this children's party. You're and if I stop on another hour I may be called on to these with songs. We men of the world are above this of thing. Get your and and I'll take you to a show. We can discuss later over a of supper.'

The of his melted into a pleased smile.

'You said something that time!' he joyfully; and we away to our hats, the best of friends. A note for Augustus Beckford, his presence at Waterloo Station at ten minutes past twelve on the morning, I left with the butler. There was a about my methods which I if Mr Abney would have approved, but I that I on Augustus.

Much may be done by kindness. By the time the on the which we had all was peace the Nugget and myself. Supper our friendship, and we to my rooms on excellent terms with one another. Half an hour later he was in the room, while I the fire in the sitting-room.

I had not been there five minutes when the rang. Smith was in bed, so I to the door myself and Mr Fisher on the mat.

My of all things, the result of my successful of the Little Nugget, Sam. I him in.

'Well,' I said, when I had him a cigar and his glass, 'and how have you been on, Mr Fisher? Any luck?'

He his at me reproachfully.

'Young man, you're deep. I've got to hand it to you. I you. You're very deep.'

'Approbation from Smooth Sam Fisher is indeed. But why these compliments?'

'You took me in, man. I don't mind owning it. When you told me the Nugget had gone astray, I it up like a babe. And all the time you were one over on me. Well, well!'

'But he had gone astray, Mr Fisher.'

He the off his cigar. He a look.

'You needn't keep it up, sonny. I to be three yards of you when you got into a with him in Shaftesbury Avenue.'

I laughed.

'Well, if that's the case, let there be no us.

He's asleep in the next room.'

Sam and me on the knee.

'Young man, this is a moment. This is where, if you aren't careful, you may all the good work you have done by and that, you've out so far, you're the whole show. Believe me, the difficult part is to come, and it's right here that you need an man to work in with you. Let me in on this and the with old man Ford to me. You would only make a of them. I've this of thing a dozen times, and I know just how to act. You won't taking me on as a partner. You won't a by it. I can work him for just what you would get, you didn't make a of the and nothing.'

'It's very good of you, but there won't be any with Mr Ford. I am taking the boy to Sanstead, as I told you.' I his eye. 'I'm you don't me.'

He at his cigar without replying.

It is a to wish to those who us, if their opinion is not valuable. I that I had Cynthia's in my pocket. I produced it as A in my and read it to him.

Sam carefully.

'I see,' he said. 'Who that?'

'Never mind. A friend of mine.'

I returned the to my pocket.

'I was going to have sent him over to Monaco, but I my plans. Something interfered.'

'What?'

'I might call it coincidence, if you know what that means.'

'And you are going to take him to the school?'

'I am.'

'We shall travel together,' he said. 'I had I had the last of the place. The English may be in the summer, but for winter give me London. However,' he resignedly, and rose from his chair, 'I will say good-bye till tomorrow. What train do you catch?'

'Do you to say,' I demanded, 'that you have the nerve to come to Sanstead after what you have told me about yourself?'

'You some idea of me to Mr Abney? Forget it, man. We are in houses. Don't let us stones. Besides, would he it? What proof have you?'

I had this when I had used it on the Nugget. Now that it was used on myself I its more thoroughly. My hands were tied.

'Yes,' said Sam, 'tomorrow, after our little to London, we shall all the quiet, life once more.'

He upon me from the doorway.

'However, the quiet, life has its interest. I we shan't be dull!' he said.

I him.