dangerous course of conduct for any young woman to follow. But she made
up for natural and physical deficiencies by an excess of that zeal
which Talleyrand deplored.

"I think not," answered Joan. "He never speaks in public, you know."

"I wonder why?" said the young lady, sharply and rather angrily.

Joan shrugged her shoulders and laughed. She sometimes wondered why
herself, but Tony had never satisfied her curiosity. The young lady
moved away and talked to others of the same matter. There were quite a
number of people in the room who wanted to know why Tony Cornish did
not speak, and wished he would. The way to rule the world is to make it
want something, and keep it wanting.

"I make so bold as to hope," Lord Ferriby was saying, "that when
sufficient publicity has been given to our scheme we shall be able to
raise the necessary funds. In the fulness of this hope, I have ventured
to jot down the names of certain gentlemen who have been kind enough to
assume the trusteeship. I propose, therefore, that the trustees of the
Malgamite Fund shall be--er--myself----"

Like a practiced speaker, Lord Ferriby paused for the applause which
duly followed. And certain elderly gentlemen, who had been young when
Marmaduke Ferriby was young, looked with much interest at the pictures
on the wall. That Lord Ferriby should assume the directorship of a
great charity was to send that charity on its way rejoicing. He stood
smiling benevolently and condescendingly down upon the faces turned
towards him, and rejoiced inwardly over these glorious obsequies of a
wild and deplorable past.