length he set forth to Hill Street, he was so painfully preoccupied that
he walked three times completely round the square before he discovered
the outlet into that fashionable thoroughfare.

When he reached the dark green mansion of Lady Enid's worthy father,
the Marquis of Glome, and had applied the bronze demon that served as a
knocker four separate times to the door, he was still so lost in thought
that he started violently on the appearance of the Scotch retainer at
the portal, and behaved for a moment as if he were considering which
of two courses he should pursue: _i.e._, whether he should clamber
frantically into the seclusion of the area, or take boldly to the
open street. Before he could do either M'Allister, the retainer, had
magnetised him into the hall, relieved him of his hat--almost with the
seductive adroitness of a Drury Lane thief--and drawn him down a tartan
passage into a very sensible-looking boudoir, in which Lady Enid was
sitting by a wood fire with a very tall and lusty young man.

"Mr. Hennessey Vivian!"

"What, Bob--you here!" said the Prophet to the lusty young man, after
shaking hands a little distractedly with Lady Enid.

"Yes, old chap. But I'm just off. I know you two want to have a confab,"
returned Mr. Robert Green, wringing his old school friend's hand.
"Niddy's given me the chuck. And anyhow I'm bound to look in at the Bath
Club at four to fence with Chicky Bostock."

Mr. Green spoke in a powerful baritone voice, rolling his r's, and
showing his large and square white teeth in a perpetual cheery and even
boisterous smile. He was what is called a thorough good fellow, springy
in body and essentially gay in soul. That he was of a slightly belated
temperament will be readily understood when we say that he was at
this time just beginning to whistle, with fair correctness,
"Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay," to discuss the character of Becky Sharp, to dwell
upon the remarkable promise as a vocalist shown by Madame Adelina Patti,
and to wonder at the marvellous results said to be accomplished by the
telephone. He had also never heard of Christian Science, and was totally
unaware that there exists in the metropolis a modest and retiring
building called "The Imperial Institute." Nevertheless, he was
repeatedly spoken of by substantial people as a young man of many parts,
was a leading spirit in Yeomanry circles, and was greatly regarded by
the Prophet as a trusty friend and stalwart upholder of the Bri