"No fear of that; he looks on you as still the head of the family, with a sort of _ex officio_ right to know the worst. His own position he doesn't realise a bit. Yet some day I expect to see him at least as fit to occupy it as one or two others; and you are the man to make him so. You will only require two things." The great doors opened inwards, and the travellers surged in to claim their luggage, with Mr. Cripps at their head. Claude caught him by the elbow as he was pointing out his trunks. "Those two things?" said he. "Yes, those two, with my initials on each." "No, but the two things that I shall need?" "Oh, those! Plenty of patience, and plenty of time." CHAPTER III A CHANCE LOST It was the pink of the evening when the cousins drove off in a four-wheeler with the cats on top. Claude had been in many minds about their destination, until the Duke had asked him to recommend an hotel. At that he had hesitated a little, and finally pitched upon the First Avenue. A variety of feelings guided his choice, chief among them being a vague impression that his wild kinsman would provoke less attention in Holborn than in Northumberland Avenue. To Holborn, at all events, they were now on their way. Claude sat far back in the cab; he felt thankful it was not a hansom. In the Mall they met a string of them, taking cloaked women and white-breasted men out to dinner. Claude saw one or two faces he knew, but was himself unseen. He saw them stare and smile at the tanned and bearded visage beneath that villainous wideawake, which was thrust from one window to the other with the eager and unrestrained excitement of a child. He felt ashamed of poor Jack. He was sincerely ashamed of this very feeling. "What streets!" whispered the Duke in an awestruck whisper. "We've nothing like 'em in Melbourne. They'd knock spots off Sydney. I've been in both." Claude had a sudden thought. "For you," he said, "these streets should have a special interest." "How's that?" "Well, many of them belong to you." "WHAT?" "You are the ground landlord of some of the streets and squares we have already passed." The brown beard had fallen in dismay; now, however, a mouthful of good teeth showed themselves in a frankly incredulous grin. "What are you givin' us?" laughed Jack. "I see, you think you've got a loan of a new chum! Well, so you have. Go ahead!" "Not if you don't choose to believe me," replied Claude stiffly. "I meant what I said; I usually do. The property has been in our family for hundreds of years." "And now it's mine?" "And now it's yours." The Duke of St. Osmund's took off his monstrous wideawake, and passed the back of his hairy hand across his forehead. The gesture was eloquent of a mind appalled. "Have I no homestead on my own run?" he inquired at length. "You have several," said Claude, smiling; but he also hesitated. "Several in London?" cried the Duke, aghast again. "No--only one in town."