nd a table with a heavy silver cigarette box, and other
smoking apparatus, that lightened its workmanlike air. But Dick was not
apt to be affected by the air of a room. He sat down in the easy-chair
and stretched his long legs in front of him, and thought over the
occurrences of the morning.

He was rather surprised to find himself in so equable a frame of mind.
His anger against Cicely had gradually worked up since the previous
evening until, when he had seen her in the room with Mackenzie, he could
have taken her by the shoulders and shaken her, with clenched teeth. She
had done a disgraceful thing; she, a girl, had taken the sacred name of
Clinton in her hands and thrown it to the mob to worry. That he had
skilfully caught and saved it before it had reached them did not make
her crime any the less.

But he could not now regain--he tested his capacity to regain, out of
curiosity--his feeling of outraged anger against her. Curious that, in
the train, he had felt no very great annoyance against Mackenzie. He
asked himself if he hadn't gone rather near to admiring the decisive
stroke he had played, which few men would have attempted on such an
almost complete lack of opportunity. But face to face with him his
dislike and resentment had flared up. His anger now came readily enough
when he thought of Mackenzie, and he found himself wishing ardently for
another chance of showing it effectively. It was this, no doubt, that
had softened him towards his little sister, whom he loved in his
patronising way. The fellow had got hold of her. She was a little fool,
but it was the man who was to blame. And his own resource had averted
the danger of scandal, which he dreaded like any woman. He could not but
be rather pleased with himself for the way in which he had carried
through his job, and Cicely gained the advantage of his
self-commendation. There was one thing, though--his father must never
know. The fat would be in the fire then with a vengeance.

Turning over these things in his mind, Dick dropped off into a light
doze, from which he was awakened by the entrance of Walter. Walter wore
a tall hat and a morning coat. It was August and it was very hot, and in
Bond Street he would have worn a flannel suit and a straw hat. But if he
did that here his patients would think that _he_ thought anything good
enough for them. There were penalties attached to the publication of
that list of wedding presents in the _Melbury Park Chronicle