Thursday--until the evening, when he nervously entered the Thespian Club
as guest of honour. The hall-porter projected himself through the window
of his box and handed Eric a note.

"_All success, dear Eric_," he read. "_I wish I could be there to hear
you. I shall ring you up to-night, and you must tell me all about it.
Imagine I'm sitting by you, darling, and don't let the speech disappoint
me. B._"

He thrust the note into his pocket, as Lord Ettrick came forward to
greet him. Congratulations and badinage broke out on all sides; he shook
hands until his arm ached and he gave up trying to count the numbers; it
was enough that he could recognize one face out of three. . . .

"You seem to have mobilized half the club," Eric commented, looking
with gratification at the growing half-circle by the fire.

"You're between Gaisford and me," said Ettrick, detaching him for a
cocktail and cigarette at the far end of the room. "I'm proposing your
health, you'll have to reply; and that'll be all the speeches, unless we
sit late. Manders has promised to come as soon as he can get away from
the theatre, and that may start the ball again. By the way, is it
official yet? I haven't seen any announcement."

"Is _what_ official?"

"I heard that you were engaged."

Eric's composure poured out of him, and he felt his mouth growing loose.

"Where did you hear that?" he asked with an effort.

"Oh, scores of people have told me. I came to your box rather late the
other night, but I was told that the lady in question had been inviting
every one to congratulate you both."

For a moment Eric frowned in perplexity; then his face lightened.

"That was on account of the play," he explained. "She came to one or two
of the rehearsals, and, on the strength of that, it was always 'our
play.' . . . I say, have you really heard that from many people? She's a
very great friend of mine, and I shouldn't like to feel that our names
were being coupled."

Lord Ettrick wrinkled his forehead in surprise and shook his head with a
grim smile.

"Then, my young friend, if that's your ambition, you're not going the
right way about it. I'm too busy by day to go out much at night, but any
time during the last month or two . . . You know how people talk; and
you're both of you pretty well known." Eric's look of mortification
roused him to a more conciliatory tone. "It's done now, and, if it
doesn't blow over, you'll only have yourself to thank. I wouldn