lin attacked the bottle themselves. When it was done, the
former rose unsteadily, and, bidding his friend good-night, said he
would go home, as he'd got a headache. Which was about as true an
observation as man ever uttered.

"Good-night--old--feller," said he; "see you to-morrow."

And he staggered out of the place, assisted to the door by Mr Shanklin,
who, after an affectionate farewell, sauntered to the billiard-room,
where Mr Medlock had already won a five-pound note from the ingenuous
Mr Pillans.

"Your friend's in good spirits to-night," said Mr Shanklin. "Capital
fellow is Bland."

"So he is," said Pillans.

"Capital fellow, with plenty of capital, eh?" said Mr Medlock; "your
shoot, Pillans, and I don't mind going a sov. with you on the cannon."

Of course Pillans lost his sovereign, as he did several others before
the game was over. Then, feeling he had had enough enjoyment for one
evening, he said good-bye and followed his friend home.

But some one else had already followed his friend home.

Durfy, in whose bosom the glimpse of that well-lined pocket-book had
roused unusual interest, found himself ready to go home a very few
moments after Blandford had quitted the Shades. It may have been only
coincidence, or it may have been idle curiosity to see if the tipsy lad
could find his way home without an accident, or it may have been a
laudable determination that, no one should take advantage of his
helpless condition to deprive him of that comfortable pocket-book.
Whatever it was, Durfy followed the reeling figure along the pavement as
it threaded its way westward from the Shades.

Blandford may have had reason enough left to tell him that it would be
better for his headache to walk in the night air than to take a cab, and
Mr Durfy highly approved of the decision. He was able without
difficulty or obtrusiveness to follow his man at a few yards' distance,
and even give proof of his solicitude by an occasional steadying hand on
his arm.

Presently the wanderer turned out of the crowded thoroughfare up a by-
street, where he had the pavement more to himself. Indeed, except for a
few stragglers hurrying home from theatres or concerts, he encountered
no one; and as he penetrated farther beyond the region of public houses
and tobacco-shops into the serener realms of offices and chambers, and
beyond that into the solitude of a West-end square, not a footstep save
his own and that of his escort broke the