ting to be announced.

"Looking at the map of Africa, and I don't wonder," he said. "Isn't it
awful?"

"It's terrible," said Rendel, "about as bad as it can be."

"Look here, why aren't you over there to help to settle it?" said
Wentworth.

"Well, I should not have been there, in any case," said Rendel. "That is
where I should have been--look," with something like a sigh.

"You would have been nearer than you are now," said Wentworth. "Upon my
word, I haven't patience with you. The idea of throwing up such a chance
as you have had!"

"How do you know about it?" Rendel said.

"How do I know?" said Wentworth. "Everybody knows that you were offered
it and refused."

"After all," said Rendel, "there are some things one leaves undone in
this world. It does not follow that because people are offered a thing
they must necessarily accept it."

"I don't say I am not in favour of leaving things undone," Wentworth
said, "on occasion."

"So I have observed," said Rendel.

"But really, you know," Wentworth went on, "this is too much. What do
you intend to do?"

"What do I intend to do?" Rendel said, with a half smile, then
unconsciously imparting a greater steadfastness into his expression,
"broadly speaking, I intend to do--everything."

"Oh! well, there's hope for you still," Wentworth said, "if that is your
intention. It's rather a large order, though."

"Well, as I have told you before," Rendel said, "I don't see why there
should be any limit to one's intentions. The man who intends little is
not likely to achieve much."

"That's all very well, and plausible enough, I dare say," said
Wentworth, "but the way to achieve is not to begin by refusing all your
chances."

"This is too delightful from you," said Rendel, "who never do anything
at all."

"Not at all," said Wentworth. "It is on principle that I do nothing, in
order to protest against other people doing too much. I wish to have an
eight hours' day of elegant leisure, and to go about the world as an
example of it. It would be just as inconsistent of me to accept a
regular occupation as it is of you to refuse it."

"I have a very simple reason for refusing this," said Rendel more
seriously, and he paused. "I am a married man."

"To be sure, my dear fellow," said Wentworth, "I have noticed it."

"My wife didn't want to go to Africa," said Rendel, "and there was an
end of it."

"Oh, that was the end of it?" said Wentworth.

"Absolutely," said Rend