"Only you and me, and the lady. That's what's weighing on my mind. What's the good of having a wife if she ain't your wife--or, at any rate, if you daren't say that she's your wife, for the life of you?" The Duke suddenly rose from his seat. He seemed to be in a state of actual agitation. "Tommy, do you know that the Chancellor is coming here?" "Who?" "The Lord Chancellor. The carriage went to meet him an hour ago. I expect him every moment." Mr. Stanham looked a trifle blank. "I didn't know the ministry was formed." "It's formed, but it's not announced; Triggs is to be the Chancellor." "And what sort of gentleman may Triggs be when he's at home?" "Sir Tristram? Well!" The Duke was walking up and down the room. He appeared to be reflecting. "He's rather a queer card, Triggs is. He's been a bit of a wildish character in his time--and they do say that his time's not long gone. He has a temper of his own--a nasty one." Pausing, the Duke fixedly regarded Mr. Stanham. "I should say that when Triggs learns what you have done he will clap you into gaol, and keep you there, at any rate until Miss Cullen ceases to be a ward of the court." Mr. Stanham's countenance wore a look of dire consternation. "No! She's to be a ward until she's twenty-five, and she's not yet twenty-two." "Then, in that case, I should say that, at the very least, you are in for three good years of prison. My advice to you is----" The Duke's advice remained unuttered. Just at that moment the door was opened. A servant ushered in a new-comer. "Sir Tristram Triggs." The Duke, striding forward, held out both his hands. "Sir Tristram! And how long is it to be Sir Tristram?" The other shrugged his shoulders. "For a few hours, more or less, I suppose. I don't know much about this kind of thing. I daresay I shall know more about it when I've done." "When you've done? May that not be for many and many a year! Allow me to introduce to you a friend of mine--Mr. Thomas Stanham." Sir Tristram turned. For the first time he appeared to notice Mr. Stanham. Physically the new great man was short, and inclined to ponderosity. The entire absence of hair upon his face served to accentuate its peculiar characteristics. It was a square face--and, in particular, the jaw was square. His big eyes looked from under a penthouse formed by his overhanging brows. As one looked at him one instinctively felt that this was a man whom it would be safer to have as a friend than an enemy. As he turned a faint smile seemed to be struggling into existence about the corners of his great mouth. But directly his glance alighted upon Mr. Stanham that smile vanished into the _ewigkeit_. He looked at him very much as a bull-terrier might look at a rat. And he said, in a tone of voice which seemed fraught with curious significance-- "I have had the pleasure of meeting this gentleman before."