Truth to tell, Cosimo held the infant quite as well as Amory did. When, in the course of the shocking display of promiscuity, it arrived at Amory, she stood with it much as a hatstand stands with the hat that is hung upon it. But she thanked goodness that she knew a little more than to say "Diddums" to it. It was a little boy; Amory was rather sorry for that; nevertheless she bent an earnest gaze upon it, as if, male as it was, she still sealed it as more or less vowed to the Cause. Mr. Wellcome was entirely wrong when he cried that he'd take short odds he could guess what she was thinking of. Mr. Wellcome could never have guessed. Mr. Wellcome was for the propagation of Tuberculosis and the direct encouragement of the Social Evil. In fact, Amory was not at all sure that men like Mr. Wellcome were not the real Antichrist. Then the babe was borne away by a nurse, and, while George Massey, mingling his hissings with those of the silver kettle over Aunt Jerry's spirit-lamp, passed round cups of tea, the conversation came round to Amory herself and "Barrage." Mr. Wellcome had failed to catch the figure for which the picture had been sold. "How much did you say?" he demanded again over his cup. Amory glanced at Cosimo. "Two hundred pounds," said Cosimo with a negligent air. Mr. Wellcome's respect for the Cause evidently went up. "Come, that's not so dusty," he approved. "Have you been raking it in at this rate ever since you left Glenerne, Miss Am?" he asked, fixing her with his eye and tapping her on the knee. He was a friendly man. Amory replied graciously that she had, more or less; it was not easy to fix a rate; sometimes she would be quite a long time without making very much, and then---- "I see; like winnings," said Mr. Wellcome. "Well, and Cos here's been touching too from all I hear." He winked slowly. "_Mis_-ter Wellcome!" Mrs. Deschamps interposed, shocked. But Mr. Wellcome only guffawed. "Well, it makes the mare to go--eh, George? No doin' your duty as a citizen without it, George, what? I always say, every time I have a good win, '_Now_ for the duty as a citizen!' Not that horses ain't precarious, like art; but getting married's like learning to swim--when you're neck and crop in for it you find a way out all right. Well, I don't care, among friends, where it is, Glenerne or where you like--I know where there's a bottle or two of G. H. Mumm left, and the Spanish brandy's got no force, I give you _my_ word! It's betwixt Miss Crebbin and somebody--Miss Crebbin's favourite for the moment, but betting alters----" And the opening of an oyster is not larger nor more watery than the next wink Mr. Wellcome gave. "Aren't you going to stay and see him in his bath, Amory?" Aunt Jerry asked wistfully when, at a little after five, Amory and Cosimo rose to go. "I'm afraid not," Amory replied, drawing on her new gloves. "Cosimo and I have to go and see _Europa_ at the New Greek Society; it's the first performance in England."