'So glad to make your acquaintance, Mr. Knight!' she burst out loudly and uncontrollably, as though Geraldine's magic formula had loosened a valve capable of withstanding enormous strains. Then she smiled, laughed, and sniggered: not because she imagined that she had achieved humour, but because that was her way of making herself agreeable. If anybody had told her that she could not open her mouth without sniggering, she would have indignantly disbelieved the statement. Nevertheless it was true. When she said the weather was changeable, she sniggered; when she hoped you were quite well, she sniggered; and if circumstances had required her to say that she was sorry to hear of the death of your mother, she would have sniggered. Henry, however, unaccustomed to the phenomena accompanying her speech, mistook her at first for a woman determined to be witty at any cost. 'I'm glad to meet you,' he said, and laughed as if to insinuate that that speech also was funny. 'I was desolated, simply desolated, not to see you at Miss Foster's "at home,"' Mrs. Ashton Portway was presently sniggering. 'Now, will you come to one of my Wednesdays? They begin in November. First and third. I always try to get interesting people, people who have done something.' 'Of course I shall be delighted,' Henry agreed. He was in a mood to scatter largesse among the crowd. 'That's so good of you,' said Mrs. Ashton Portway, apparently overcome by the merry jest. 'Now remember, I shall hold you to your promise. I shall write and remind you. I know you great men.' When Henry reached the staircase he discovered her card in his hand. He could not have explained how it came there. Without the portals of Kenilworth Mansions a pair of fine horses were protesting against the bearing-rein, and throwing spume across the street. He walked straight up to the Louvre, and there lunched to the sound of wild Hungarian music. It was nearly three o'clock when he returned to his seat at Powells. 'The governor's pretty nearly breaking up the happy home,' Foxall alarmingly greeted him in the inquiry office. 'Oh!' said Henry with a very passable imitation of guilelessness. 'What's amiss?' 'He rang for you just after you went out at a quarter-past twelve.' Here Foxall glanced mischievously at the clock. 'He had his lunch sent in, and he's been raving ever since.' 'What did you tell him?' 'I told him you'd gone to lunch.' 'Did he say anything?' 'He asked whether you'd gone to Brighton for lunch. Krikey! He nearly sacked _me_! You know it's his golfing afternoon.' 'So it is. I'd forgotten,' Henry observed calmly. Then he removed his hat and gloves, found his note-book and pencil, and strode forward to joust with the knight. 'Did you want to dictate letters, Sir George?' he asked, opening Sir George's door. The knight was taken aback. 'Where have you been,' the famous solicitor demanded, 'since the middle of the morning?'