daresay you are not surprised at my exclamation now, after reading that," said Goss, looking round at his hearers. "Pretty serious for Brett." "Pretty serious for Mrs. Darche," observed Greene. "Pretty serious for everybody," said Bewlay, smoking thoughtfully. "That is," suggested Greene, "if it is not all a fake, which is probably the truth about it." "Has anybody seen Brett here?" inquired Goss. At this point the conversation was interrupted by the entry of Mr. Brown, who was also a member of the club. "Is Brett here?" he asked, looking about. "Just what I was asking," answered Goss. "I suppose you have seen this?" "About Darche? Yes. I am afraid it is true." "What! You do not believe it?" Greene was the most sceptical of the party. "Have you seen him?" asked Bewlay. "No," answered Mr. Brown. "I have not seen him, but I mean to before long. This is much too serious to be flying about in the papers like this. Imagine what would happen if it fell into Mrs. Darche's hands. Why it is enough to kill any ordinary woman on the spot! To think that that infernal blackguard may not be dead after all." "You seem to feel rather strongly on the subject," observed Greene. "Are you engaged to marry Mrs. Darche too?" "Nonsense!" ejaculated Brown. "I am in earnest. Just put yourself in her position." "For my part I had rather not," replied Goss with a smile. "But I agree with Brown. A more unmitigated blackguard than John Darche never breathed the unholy air of Wall Street. The only decent thing about him was his suicide, and now virtue is to be cheated of that." "Mrs. Darche never speaks of him, I believe?" The question came from Bewlay. "He did not return the civility," said Goss. "I have heard him talk about his wife in this very room--well--I won't say how, but he was a brute." "Judging from your language you must be talking about Darche," said a fifth speaker. Vanbrugh had entered the room. "Yes," answered Brown, "we were. The damning was going on, but we had not got to the faint praise. What do you think about all this, Vanbrugh?" "The question must be settled one way or the other before to-night," answered the last comer. "If Darche is really alive the fact must be kept quiet until to-morrow and then some one must tell his wife. I propose that we elect a committee of action, give up our dinner parties if we have any, and go and find the fellow." "That sounds like good advice," said Brown. "We might as well look for a Chinaman in Pekin," put in Greene, "as to try to hunt out any particular tough in the Bowery at this time of day." "We can try any way," said Mr. Brown, who was of a hopeful temperament. "I am not engaged to dine anywhere, are you, Vanbrugh?" "No." "Then come along." They turned towards the door and were just going out when Brett met them, looking very white. "Hello, Brett!" exclaimed Brown. "You are the very man we have been looking for. Come along with us and find John Darche."