Once upon a time, many years before this story begins, a certain lady said, and indeed swore with an oath, that Lord Mapledurham had promised to marry her, and claimed ten thousand pounds as damages for the breach of that promise. Lord Mapledurham said his memory was treacherous about such things, and he never contradicted a lady on a question of fact: but the amount which his society was worth seemed fairly open to difference of opinion, and he asked a jury of his countrymen to value it. This _cause célèbre_, for such it was in its day, did not improve Lord Mapledurham's reputation, but, on the other hand, it made Mr. Blodwell's. That gentleman reduced the damages to one thousand, and Lord Mapledurham said that his cross-examination of the plaintiff was quite worth the money. Since then, the two had been friends, and Mr. Blodwell prided himself greatly on his intimacy with such an exclusive person as the Marquis. George enjoyed his surprise at the announcement that they would meet that evening at the dinner-party. "Why the dickens does he ask you?" "Upon my honour, I don't know." "It will destroy the last of your reputation." "Oh, not if you are there, sir." When George arrived at Lord Mapledurham's, he found nobody except his host and Mr. Blodwell. "I must apologize for having nobody to meet you, Mr. Neston, except an old friend. I asked young Vane--whose insolence amuses me,--and Fitzderham, but they couldn't come." "Three's a good number," said Mr. Blodwell. "If they're three men. But two men and a woman, or two women and a man--awful!" "Well, we are men, though George is a young one." "I don't feel very young," said George, smiling, as they sat down. "I am fifty-five," said the Marquis, "and I feel younger every day,--not in body, you know, for I'm chockful of ailments; but in mind. I am growing out of all the responsibilities of this world." "And of the next?" asked Blodwell. "In the next everything is arranged for us, pleasantly or otherwise. As to this one, no one expects anything more of me--no work, no good deeds, no career, no nothing. It's a delicious freedom." "You never felt your bonds much." "No; but they were there, and every now and then they dragged on my feet." "Your view of old age is comforting," said George. "Only, George, if you want to realize it, you must not marry," said Mr. Blodwell. "No, no," said the Marquis. "By the way, Blodwell, why did you never marry?" "Too poor, till too late," said Mr. Blodwell, briefly. The Marquis raised his glass, and seemed to drink a respectful toast to a dead romance. "And you, Lord Mapledurham?" George ventured to ask. "Ay, ask him!" said Mr. Blodwell. "Perhaps his reason will be less sadly commonplace." "I don't know," said the Marquis, pondering. "Some of them expected it, and that disgusted me. And some of them didn't, and that disgusted me too." "You put the other sex into rather a difficult position," remarked George, laughing.