morning's excursion was a little too much even for Jane."

"What do you mean?" Tallente asked eagerly. Lady Alice looked at him
over the top of her fan. She was a woman of instinct. "I had a
telegram from her just before I came out," she said. "There wasn't much
in it, but it gave me an idea that after all perhaps she is thinking of
a short visit to town. Come and see me, Mr. Tallente, won't you? I
live in Mount Street--Number 17. My husband used to play cricket with
you, I think."

She passed on and Tallente stood looking after her for a moment, a
little dazed. A friend came up and took him by the arm.

"Unprotected and alone in the gilded halls of the enemy!" the newcomer
exclaimed. "Come and have a drink. By the by, you look as though you'd
had good news."

"I have," Tallente assented, smiling.

"Then we'll drink to it--Mum'll. Not bad stuff. This way."



CHAPTER VI

Tallente, for the first time in his life, was dining a few evenings
later at Dartrey's house in Chelsea, and he looked forward with some
curiosity to this opportunity of studying his chief under different
auspices. Dartrey, notwithstanding the fact that he was a miracle of
punctuality and devotion to duty, both at the offices in Parliament