oner, of course. Grecian goddesses are not so common, my dear
Stafford, as to permit of more than one in a house-party."

"I'm sure I don't know," replied Stafford, eyeing him with faint
surprise. "What the devil made you ask me that?"

Howard eyed the handsome face with cynical amusement.

"Pardon, if I was impertinent; but I assure you the question is being
asked amongst themselves by all the women in the house--"

Stafford stared at him and began to frown with perplexity rather than
anger.

"My dear Stafford, I know that you are not possessed of a particularly
brilliant intellect, but you surely possess sufficient intelligence to
see that your attentions to Miss Falconer are somewhat obvious."

"What?" said Stafford. "My attentions to Miss Falconer--Are you
chaffing, Howard?"

"Not in the least: it's usually too great a waste of time with you, my
dear boy: you don't listen, and when you do, half the time you don't
understand. No, I'm quite serious; but perhaps I ought to have said her
attentions to you; it would have been more correct."

Stafford coloured.

"Look here, old man," he said. "If you think--Oh, dash it all, what
nonsense it is! Miss Falconer and I are very good friends; and of
course I like to talk to her--she's so sharp, almost as smart and
clever as you are, when she likes to take the trouble; and of course I
like to hear her sing--Why, my dear Howard, it's like listening to one
of the big operatic swells; but--but to suggest that there is
anything--that--there is any reason to warn me--Oh, dash it! come off
it, old man, you're chaffing?"

"Not in the least. But I didn't intend any warning: in fact, I am in
honour bound to refrain from anything of the kind--"

"In honour bound?" said Stafford.

Howard almost blushed.

"Oh, it's nothing; only a silly wager," he said. "I can't tell you, so
don't enquire. But all the same--well, there, I won't say more if you
are sure there is nothing between you."

"I have the best of reasons for saying so," said Stafford, carelessly,
and with a touch of colour in his face. "But it's all dashed nonsense!
The women always think there's something serious going on if you dance
twice with a girl, or sit and talk to her for half an hour."

"Right!" said Howard, rising. "There's the bell!"

As Howard had said, there was an air of suppressed excitement about the
people; and it was not confined to the financiers who clustered
together in the hall and discussed