"Mary Huggins?" she cried. "Yes, I was left a fortune on condition that I married a person called Mary Huggins. Absurd! As though----" "How much?" "Oh, quite a lot if it wasn't for these confounded death duties. Five million pounds. You see----" "Jack, Jack!" cried the girl. "Don't you understand? _I_ am Mary Huggins." He looked at her in amazement. "You said your name was Marie Huguenot," he said slowly. "My stage name, dear. Naturally I couldn't--I mean, one must--you know how particular managers are. When father died and I had to go on the stage for a living----" "Marie, my darling!" Mary rose and picked up her bicycle. The air had gone out of the back wheel again, and there were four spokes broken, but she did not heed it. "You must write to your lawyer to-night," she said. "_Won't_ he be surprised?" But, being a great reader of the magazines, he wasn't. THE STATESMAN On a certain night in the middle of the season all London was gathered in Lady Marchpane's drawing-room; all London, that is, which was worth knowing--a qualification which accounted for the absence of several million people who had never heard of Lady Marchpane. In one corner of the room an Ambassador, with a few ribbons across his chest, could have been seen chatting to the latest American Duchess; in another corner one of our largest Advertisers was exchanging epigrams with a titled Newspaper Proprietor. Famous Generals rubbed shoulders with Post-Impressionist Artists; Financiers whispered sweet nothings to Breeders of prize Poms; even an Actor-Manager might have been seen accepting an apology from a Royalty who had jostled him. "Hallo," said Algy Lascelles, catching sight of the dignified figure of Rupert Meryton in the crowd; "how's William?" A rare smile lit up Rupert's distinguished features. He was Under Secretary for Invasion Affairs, and "William" was Algy's pleasant way of referring to the Bill which he was now piloting through the House of Commons. It was a measure for doing something or other by means of a what-d'you-call-it--I cannot be more precise without precipitating a European Conflict. "I think we shall get it through," said Rupert calmly. "Lady Marchpane was talking about it just now. She's rather interested, you know." Rupert's lips closed about his mouth in a firm line. He looked over Algy's head into the crowd. "Oh!" he said coldly.