be delighted to see you; she likes great celebrities, whether incipient
or predominant. You must come and dine--my wife will write to you. Where
are you to be found?"

"This is my little address"--and Overt drew out his pocketbook and
extracted a visiting-card. On second thoughts, however, he kept it back,
remarking that he wouldn't trouble his friend to take charge of it but
would come and see him straightway in London and leave it at his door if
he should fail to obtain entrance.

"Ah you'll probably fail; my wife's always out--or when she isn't out is
knocked up from having been out. You must come and dine--though that
won't do much good either, for my wife insists on big dinners." St.
George turned it over further, but then went on: "You must come down and
see us in the country, that's the best way; we've plenty of room, and it
isn't bad."

"You've a house in the country?" Paul asked enviously.

"Ah not like this! But we have a sort of place we go to--an hour from
Euston. That's one of the reasons."

"One of the reasons?"

"Why my books are so bad."

"You must tell me all the others!" Paul longingly laughed.

His friend made no direct rejoinder to this, but spoke again abruptly.
"Why have I never seen you before?"