odding over his shoulder at the new-comer from his seat by the
fire.

Rainham's greeting had been far more cordial, and he still held his
friend's hand between his own, gazing inquiringly into his face as
if he wished to read something there.

"Yes, I am back, you see," he said presently, when Dick had found
himself a chair. "I have been here two days, and I was just
beginning to think of looking you up. I was very sorry to miss you
at Bordighera. How is Eve? It's very good of you to come all this
way to see me; you must be pretty busy."

"Oh, Eve is tremendously well! Thanks, no, I won't have any tea, but
you might give me a whisky-and-soda. I had to come down into these
wilds to look at a yacht which we think of taking for the summer.
Quite a small one," he added half apologetically, as he detected the
faint, amused surprise in the other's expression; "and as I found
myself here, with a few minutes to spare before my train goes, I
thought I would look in on the off chance of finding you. How is
business just now? The dock didn't strike me as looking much like
work as I came in. Pretty stagnant, eh?"

Rainham shook his head.

"Oh, it's much as usual--perhaps a little more so! Bullen continues
to threaten me with bankruptcy, but I am getting used to it.
Threatened men live long, you know."

"Oh, you're all right!" answered Dick genially. "As long as Bullen
looks after you, you won't come to grief."

While the two were thus occupied in reuniting the chain of old
associations, Oswyn had been silently, almost surreptitiously,
preparing for departure; and he now came forward awkwardly, with his
hat in one hand and the tools of his trade under his arm.

"May I leave some of these things, here, or will they be in your
way?"

"But you're not going?" said Rainham, rising from his seat with a
constraining gesture; "why, don't you remember we were going to dine
together? Dick will stay too, _n'est ce pas_? It will be like old
times. Mrs. Bullen has been preparing quite a feast, I assure you!"

Oswyn paused irresolutely.

"Don't let me drive you away," said Dick. "In any case I'm going
myself in a few minutes. Yes," he added, turning to Rainham, "I'm
very sorry, but I've got to take my wife out to dinner, and I shall
have to catch a train in, let me see, about ten minutes."

"Really? Well, then, clearly you must sit down again, Oswyn; I won't
be left alone at any price. That's right. Now, Dick, tell me what
you ha