"Surely you remember the gout--the frightful attack you had last time after Burgundy." "Gout? I suppose you mean Arthritic Rheumatism? But perhaps you are right, and Dr Garrod was wrong--let us call it gout. Fill up the glass, Boffins. Bridgewater, try some Burgundy, and see if it affects your gout. Boffins, that cat's in the room, I hear it purring. I hear it, I tell you, sir! where is the beast?" The beast, as if in answer, poked its head from under the table-cloth--it was in Miss Lambert's lap. Altogether the dinner was not a success. "Your father has known my brother some time?" said Miss Hancock, when the ladies found themselves alone in the drawing-room after dinner. "Oh yes, some time now," said Fanny. "They met over some law business. Father had a dispute with Mr Bevan of Highshot Towers, the place adjoining ours, you know, down in Buckinghamshire, and Mr Hancock was very kind--he arbitrated." "Indeed? that is funny, for he is Mr Bevan's solicitor." "Is that so? I'm sure I don't know, I never trouble myself about law business or money matters. I leave all that to father." They talked on various matters, and before Miss Lambert had been packed into a specially chartered four-wheeler and driven home with Bridgewater on the box beside the driver as chaperone, Miss Hancock had come to form ideas about Miss Lambert such as she had never formed about any other young lady. Ideas the tenor of which you will perceive later on. _PART IV_ CHAPTER I "THE ROOST" Mr Bevan, since his visit to Highgate, dreamed often at nights of monstrous asparagus beds, and his friends and acquaintances noticed that he seemed distrait. The fact was the mind of this orderly and precise individual had received a shock; his world of thought had tilted somewhat, owing to a slight shifting of the poles, and regions hitherto in darkness were touched with sun. Go where he would a voice pursued him, turn where he would, a face. Wild impulses to jump into a cab and drive to "The Laurels," Highgate, as swiftly as cab could take him were subdued and conquered. Perhaps it would be happier for some of us if we used less reason in steering our way through life. Impulsive people are often sneered at, yet, I dare say that an impulse acted upon will as often make a man's life as mar it.