Hal stood up.

"The meeting is adjourned," she announced solemnly, "and the honourable
member who was just spoken has the president's leave to absent himself
on the occasion of the next gathering."

"Excellent," cried Quin, while Hermon in great glee rapped the table
with his knife handle and exclaimed, "Capital, Dick!... That drew
her... I think you might say it took the middle stump."

"Oh, thank goodness he's got on to cricket," breathed Hal. "He does
know a little about that, and may possibly talk sense for ten minutes.
Come along, Lorraine, and don't address Baby at present, for fear you
distract him from his game and start him off struggling to be clever
again. As it is Sunday night, perhaps Dick would like to read us his
latest effusions in the way of boisterous hymns!"

She led the way back to the bachelor sitting-room, and for some little
time Dick amused them greatly with his experiences over editors and
magazines, and then the two went off together to Lorraine's flat.

At this time she was living at the bottom of Lower Sloane Street, with
windows looking over the river, and it was generally supposed that her
mother lived with her.

As a matter of fact, Mrs. Vivian only occupied the ground floor flat in
company with a friend. Lorraine give her an income on condition she
should live there, and so, in a sense, act as a sort of chaperone to
silence the tongues ever ready to find food for scandal in the fact of
brilliance and beauty living alone; but mother and daughter had never