But he had his little dinner to think of. He wrote to Mrs. Woolstan, who, by return of post, blithely accepted his invitation, begging him, at the same time, to come and see her before then, if he could possibly spare an hour. Dyce threw the letter aside impatiently. On Sunday he was in Pont Street, where he met the Parliamentary Mr. Roach, a young man fairly answering to Mrs. Toplady's description; an idealist of a mild type, whose favourite talk was of "altruism," and who, whilst affecting close attention to what other people said, was always absorbed in his own thoughts. Before Lashmar had been many minutes in the drawing-room, there entered Mrs. Woolstan, and she soon found an occasion for brief exchange of words with him. "Why haven't you been to see me yet?" "I'm so terribly busy. Of course I ought to have come. I thought of to-morrow--but now that we've met here, and are going to dine on the 27th--" "Oh, I know you _must_ be busy!" conceded Iris, with panting emphasis and gladness. "How splendidly everything's going! But I want to hear about it all, you know. Your letter about Rivenoak only made me eager to know more--" "We'll have an afternoon presently. Ask Mrs. Toplady to introduce Mr. Roach--he dines with us on the 27th." To make sure of the M. P., Lashmar invited him verbally, and received a dreamy acceptance--so dreamy that he resolved to send a note, to remind Mr. Roach of the engagement. "So you are to be one of us, at Mr. Lashmar's dinner," said the hostess to Mrs. Woolstan. "A delightful evening--won't it be!" And she watched the eager little face with eyes which read its every line remorselessly: her smile more pitiless in ironic mischief even than of wont. On the morning of May the 28th, Lashmar wrote a full letter to Rivenoak. It told of a dinner successful beyond his hopes. Mrs. Toplady had surpassed herself in brilliant graciousness; Lord Dymchurch had broken through his reserve, and talked remarkably--most remarkably. "As for the host, why, he did what in him lay, and Mrs. Toplady was good enough to remark, as he handed her into her carriage, 'A few more dinners such as this, and all London will want to know the--' I won't finish her sentence. Joking apart, I think my friends enjoyed themselves, and they were certainly very encouraging with regard to our project." At the same hour, Mrs. Toplady, propped with pillows, was also writing to Rivenoak.