able
teachings of his friend.

During breakfast on the following day--which means from the hour of one
till two, for the glasses of iced gin-and-water had been many--Archie
Clavering was making up his mind that he would begin at once. He would
go to Bolton Street on that day, and make an attempt to be admitted. If
not admitted to-day, he would make another attempt to-morrow; and, if
still unsuccessful, he would write a letter--not a letter containing an
offer, which, according to Archie's ideas, would not be letting her know
that he was there in a manner sufficiently potential; but a letter in
which he would explain that he had very grave reasons for wishing to see
his near and dear connection, Lady Ongar. Soon after two he sallied out,
and he also went to a hairdresser's. He was aware that in doing so he
was hardly obeying his friend to the letter, as this sort of operation
would come rather under the head of handling a filly with a light touch;
but he thought that he could in this way, at any rate, do no harm, if he
would only remember the instructions he had received when in the
presence of the trained mare.

Chapter XX

Captain Clavering Makes His First Attempt

It was nearly three when Archie Clavering found himself in Bolton
Street, having calculated that Lady Ongar might be more probably found
at home then than at a later hour. But when he came to the door, instead
of knocking, he passed by it. He began to remember that he had not yet
made up his mind by what means he would bring it about that she should
certainly know that he was there. So he took a little turn up the
street, away from Piccadilly, through a narrow passage that there is in
those parts, and by some stables, and down into Piccadilly, and again to
Bolton Street, during which little tour he had made up his mind that it
could hardly become his duty to teach her that great lesson on this
occasion. She must undoubtedly be taught to know that he was there, but
not so taught on this, his first visit. That lesson should quickly
precede his offer; and, although he had almost hoped, in the interval
between two of his beakers of gin-and-water on the preceding evening,
that he might ride the race and win it altogether during this very
morning visit he was about to make, in his cooler moments he had begun
to reflect that that would hardly be practicable. The mare must get a
gallop before she would be in a condition to be brought out. So Archie
kn