condition.

(II)

Lord Talgarth, too, seemed to the lodge-keeper, as ten minutes later the
gates rolled back again to welcome their lord, in an unusually genial
temper (and, indeed, there was always about this old man as great a
capacity for geniality on one side as for temper on the other; it is
usually so with explosive characters). He even checked his horse and
asked after "the missus" in so many words; although two days before a
violent message had come down to complain of laxity in the gate-opening,
owing to the missus' indisposition on an occasion when the official
himself had been digging cabbages behind the Gothic lodge and the hoot
of the motor had not been heard.

The missus, it seemed, was up and about again (indeed her husband caught
a glimpse out of the tail of his eye of a pale face that glanced and
withdrew again apprehensively above the muslin curtain beyond his
lordship).

"That's all right," remarked Lord Talgarth heartily, and rode on.

The lodge-keeper exchanged a solemn wink with the groom half a minute
later, and stood to watch the heavy figure ahead plunging about rather
in the saddle as the big black mare set her feet upon the turf and
viewed her stable afar off.

It was a fact that Lord Talgarth was pleased with himself and all the
world to-day, for he kept it up even with the footman who slipped, and
all but lost his balance, as he brought tea into the library.

"Hold up!" remarked the nobleman.

The footman smiled gently and weakly, after the manner of a dependent,
and related the incident with caustic gusto to his fellows in the
pantry.

After tea Lord Talgarth lay back in his chair and appeared to meditate,
as was observed by the man who fetched out the tea-things and poked the
fire; and he was still meditating, though now there was the aromatic
smell of tobacco upon the air, when his own man came to tell him that it
was time to dress.

It was indeed a perfect room for arm-chair meditations; there were tall
book-shelves, mahogany writing-tables, each with its shaded electric
lamp; the carpet was as deep as a summer lawn; and in the wide hearth
logs consumed themselves in an almost deferential silence. There was
every conceivable thing that could be wanted laid in its proper place.
It was the kind of room in which it would seem that no scheme could
miscarry and every wish must prevail; the objective physical world
grouped itself so obediently to the human will that it was almo