secretaryship was sure to come pretty quickly, and then, who knew
what opening might present itself! He wouldn't mind a consulship,
for a year or two, at some agreeable place. But eventually--who
could doubt it?--he would enter the House. "Why, of course!" cried
Alexander; the outline of his career was plain beyond discussion.
And let him go in strong for Home Rule. That would be the great
question for the next few years, until it was triumphantly settled.
Private information--from a source only to be hinted at--assured
him that Mr. Gladstone (after the recent defeat) was already hard at
work preparing another Bill. Come now, they must drink Home Rule--
"Justice to Ireland, and the world-supremacy of the British Empire!"
--that was his toast. They interrupted their sipping of green
Chartreuse to drink it in brimming glasses of claret.

"We'll drive you to Queen's Gate!" said Alexander, when Piers began
to look at his watch. "No hurry, my boy! The night is young! 'And'"
--he broke into lyric quotation--"'haply the Queen Moon is on her
throne, clustered around with all her starry fays.'--I shall never
forget this dinner; shall you, Biddy? We'll have a song when we get
home."

One little matter had to be attended to, the paying of the bill.
Having glanced carelessly at the total, Alexander began to search
his pockets.

"Why, hang it!" he exclaimed. "What a fellow I am! Piers, it's
really too absurd, but I shall have to ask you to lend me a
sovereign; I can't make up enough--stupid carelessness! Biddy, why
didn't you ask me if I'd got money?--No, no; just a sovereign,
Piers; I have the rest. I'll pay you back to-morrow morning."