Now even to-day, when the very cabman drives his automobile, a man who buys a motor cannot say to a friend: "I ’ve bought a motor. Come for a spin," in the same self-unconscious accents as he would say: "I ’ve bought a boat. Come for a sail," or "I ’ve bought a house. Come and look at it." Even to-day in the centre of London there is still something about a motor,—well, something.... Everybody who has bought a motor, and everybody who has dreamed of buying a motor, will comprehend me. Useless to feign that a motor is the most banal thing imaginable. It is not. It remains the supreme symbol of swagger. If such is the effect of a motor in these days and in Berkeley Square, what must it have been in that dim past, and in that dim town three hours by the fastest express from Euston? The imagination must be forced to the task of answering this question. Then will it be understood that Denry was simply tingling with pride. "Master in?" he demanded of the servant, who was correctly starched, but unkempt in detail. "No, sir. He ain’t been in for tea." ("I shall take the women out then," said Denry to himself.) "Come in! Come in!" cried a voice from the other side of the open door of the drawing-room. Nellie’s voice! The manners and state of a family that has industrially risen combine the spectacular grandeur of the caste to which it has climbed with the ease and freedom of the caste which it has quitted. "Such a surprise!" said the voice. Nellie appeared, rosy. Denry threw his new motoring cap hastily on to the hall-stand. No! He did not hope that Nellie would see it. He hoped that she would not see it. Now that the moment was really come to declare himself the owner of a motor-car he grew timid and nervous. He would have liked to hide his hat. But then Denry was quite different from our common humanity. He was capable even of feeling awkward in a new suit of clothes. A singular person. "Hello!" she greeted him. "Hello!" he greeted her. Then hands touched. "Father has n’t come yet," she added. He fancied she was not quite at ease. "Well," he said, "what’s this surprise?" She motioned him into the drawing-room.