a."

"I shall always be at your service," Lord Arranmore answered.

"And I cannot go," Brooks continued, "without thanking you--"

"We will take that for granted," Arranmore interrupted. "You know the
spirit in which I gave it. It is not, I fear, one of sympathy, but it
may at any rate save me from having my carriage windows broken one dark
night. By the bye, I have ordered a brougham for you in half-an-hour.
As you see, it is raining. Your bicycle shall be sent in to-morrow."

"It is very kind of you indeed," Brooks declared.

"Molyneux has to go in, so you may just as well drive together,"
Arranmore remarked. "By the bye, do you shoot?"

"A little," Brooks admitted.

"You must have a day with us. My head keeper is coming up this
afternoon, and I will try and arrange something. The election is next
week, of course. We must plan a day after then."

"I am afraid that my performance would scarcely be up to your standard,"
Brooks said, "although it is very kind of you to ask me. I might come
and look on."

Arranmore laughed.

"Hennibul is all right," he said, "but Molyneux is a shocking duffer.
We'll give you an easy place. We have some early callers, I see."

The butler was moving towards them, followed by two men in
hunting-clothes.

"Sir George Marson and Mr. Lacroix, your lordship," he announced.

For a second Arranmore stood motionless. His eyes seemed to pass
through the man in pink, who was approaching with outstretched hand, and
to be fastened upon the face of his companion. It chanced that Brooks,
who had stepped a little on one side, was watching his host, and for the
second time in one day he saw things which amazed him. His expression
seemed frozen on to his face--something underneath seemed struggling for
expression. In a second it had all passed away. Brooks could almost
have persuaded himself that it was fancy.

"Come for something to eat, Arranmore," Sir George declared, hungrily.
"My second man's gone off with the sandwich-case--hunting on his own, I
believe. I'll sack him to-morrow. Here's my friend Lacroix, who says
you saved him from starvation once before out in the wilds somewhere.
Awfully sorry to take you by storm like this, but we're twelve miles
from home, and it's a God-forsaken country for inns."

"Luncheon for two at once, Groves," Lord Arranmore answered. "Delighted
to meet you again, Mr. Lacroix. Last time we were both of us in very
different trim."

Lady Caroom came glidi