"I shall keep out of his way for a day or two--put up at the Royal instead of going home," Reggie had explained to Bessie in the quarter of an hour he was _tête-à-tête_ with her before Deleah came in. "By the time he sees me again he'll have forgotten all about finding me here." "I suppose you don't see that all this fuss about being 'found' in our house is not very complimentary to us?" Bessie said. "Oh hang!" said Reggie. "How can I help it if he objects? You all know very well you're good enough for me." He was not a clever nor a tactful young man, although quite good-natured. He did not intend to offend, and never understood why he sometimes did so. Bessie was "touchy," as he often declared, but she bore no malice. So long as she had the young man dangling around, so long as she could dress for him, put on her long mauve ribbons for him, do up her hair for him in a chignon whose dimensions should surpass those of any other chignon in Brockenham, so long as Emily continued to make him the subject for her winks and nods and innuendoes, she lived in her Paradise and was fairly content. But by putting up at the Royal Reggie did not long evade the discussion he foresaw might be unpleasant; for on the very next morning, before he had arisen from his bed he received a message from his brother asking for his presence at a certain hour at the Brewery. "I'm in for it now," he said to himself when he got the message; but he did not dream of disregarding it. He presented himself, therefore, punctually enough, in the pleasant private room which looked out upon the river flowing black and oily so far beneath; where the portrait of the father of the two men hung above Sir Francis's head as he stood upon the hearthrug. "Oh, there you are, Reggie! Good-morning." "Here I am. Sharp as a new pin, and bright as a button." "I hope I have not upset any plans for the day by sending for you; but--You have not been overworking yourself of late, have you?" "Thank you, no," Reggie said, choosing to ignore the sarcasm, if any were intended. "You're looking very nice, and fit, I'm sure. That brown velvet coat is the latest, I suppose? Looks a little as if you were thinking of giving up Beer for the Arts, eh? I've been wondering if you'd like to travel for a year?" Reggie sat down and stared at his brother, with a perplexed vacuity of eye. This was not at all what he had expected. He thought of Deleah in a flash. If Deleah would marry him and go with him, the very thing! "You haven't been about the world very much," the brother went on. "Neither have I, you will say. But I can't be spared. You--perhaps--can. We will try, at any rate, to carry on the business without you." Reggie, accepting the remark in all seriousness, nodded a solemn head in silence. "You might even combine business with pleasure, which I am sure would meet with your approval." "When do you want me to go? I can't be ready for some little time."