The week had begun with another blizzard, which after the second day
had suddenly changed its mind, and turned into sleet and rain which
filled the streets with melted snow, and made walking a fearsome
thing. Tembarom had plenty of walking to do. This week's page was his
great effort, and was to be a "dandy." Galton must be shown what
pertinacity could do.

"I'm going to get into it up to my neck, and then strike out," he
said at breakfast on Monday morning.

Thursday was his most strenuous day. The weather had decided to
change again, and gusts of sleet were being driven about, which added
cold to sloppiness. He had found it difficult to get hold of some
details he specially wanted. Two important and extremely good-looking
brides had refused to see him because Biker had enraged them in his
day. He had slighted the description of their dresses at a dance
where they had been the observed of all observers, and had worn
things brought from Paris. Tembarom had gone from house to house. He
had even searched out aunts whose favor he had won professionally. He
had appealed to his dressmaker, whose affection he had by that time
fully gained. She was doing work in the brides' houses, and could
make it clear that he would not call peau de cygne "Surah silk," nor
duchess lace "Baby Irish." But the young ladies enjoyed being
besought by a society page. It was something to discuss with one's
bridesmaids and friends, to protest that "those interviewers" give a
person no peace. "If you don't want to be in the papers, they'll put
you in whether you like it or not, however often you refuse them."
They kept Tembarom running about, they raised faint hopes, and then
went out when he called, leaving no messages, but allowing the
servant to hint that if he went up to Two Hundred and Seventy-fifth