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48 be seen, reeling in the heat-mist, the houses and towers of Brixham.

As has been said, an air of suspended animation hung over the place, but soon a big mowing-machine emerged from the trees at the far end of the lawn, and the renewed sound of life in its clicking journeyings roused one of the figures on the veranda, and he rose and put down his coffee-cup with the air of one who means to make a move.

"Well, of course, you shall do as you choose, Charlie," he said; "but I must go in to Brixham. They have had three days of the cricket week already, and I haven't been, and there are calls I must return."

Charlie Lindsay turned a little in his long chair, and yawned quite fully and satisfactorily.

"Clearly, then, you are going only from a sense of duty," he said, "which does not appeal to me. I have no duties towards Brixham, but as Brixham is your neighbour, I realize that you have. Go forth, then, to conquer and be conquered."

"What do you mean!"

"You will make a triumphant entry on to the cricket-ground with a terrific back-fire from your motor to call attention to you, and perhaps a tyre will burst. The assembled mothers and daughters of Brixham will say to each other: 'Lord Brayton—how young and how interesting and wealthy!' That will be your conquering. Then you will turn from the proud beauties of Brixham and observe, sitting rather apart, a girl of pensive aspect, dressed in blue, with an earnest expression, and a folio copy of the Divine Comedy in her hand, which she reads instead of looking at the cricket. You will ask her name, and find she is the daughter of the Dean. So you will be conquered, and that will be another divine comedy. I can't go on: it's too hot."

Lord Brayton seemed neither amused nor ruffled, and stood looking out over the garden. He was scarcely twenty-five years of age, but looked at least five years older, and a guess might be safely hazarded that in mind he was at least thirty, so mature, though in no bald or obese or wrinkled sense, did his face appear. Good-looking he certainly was, but in a rather formal manner: his features were all of the fine, well-finished type which is usually associated—as it was in his case—with a tall, well-set-up frame. But he looked as if he had quite made up his mind about most things, and would probably be willing to give you the result of his researches. As his cousin spoke, he took a cigarette out of