Wyatt sank into a chair. "Doldwums. Nothing at all," he said listlessly. "Mewest chawnce, I assuah you. Fawct is, I was--er--howwidly boahed, y' know. It's no good. All of it!" He spread out his immaculate pink palm in a comprehensive gesture. "All wot!--Dinnahs and dawnces and bwidge, the hawse-show--and--ah--all the west of it.--Vahnity fawr, y' know. If you have whatevah you want diwectly, of cow'se you cawnt want anything you daunt have, y' know. Doocid unpleasant. I find myself like the boy that wanted to leah'n to shivah and shake, y' know. Needin' the excitement of what this fellah--ah--at Washington, y' know--_Woosevelt_!--of what Woosevelt calls the stwenuous life. Saht in the club thinkin' it ovah, and decided to sally fowth to seek adventuah----" "Adventure! You?" Atwood threw back his head and roared. "--adventuah. In a hansom," returned the new-comer placidly. "So the dwivah ahsked me 'Whah to?' y' know. I was feelin' nawsty enough, so I told him 'To pwugatowy!--like that! He was--ah--a vewy litewal-minded puhson." There was a faint flicker of amusement in his gray eyes. "He--ah--bwought me to the Stock Exchange. Aftah I got out, y' know, I wemembahed that you--ah--did something heah. So I thought I'd just wun ovah and see you." He relapsed into moody silence. "You've come to the right shop, I do believe," said Atwood. "Mr. Thompson, let me make you acquainted with my old friend Wyatt." "Chawmed, I'm suah!" muttered Wyatt, adjusting his monocle. "You have probably heard of him," pursued Atwood. "He appears regularly in the Sunday Supplements as a Horrible Example--Anson Walworth Wyatt, nephew to his uncle. But for all he seems such a silly, supercilious ass, he's a good old chap at heart, a 'weal' lion in an ass-skin. Mr. Thompson, have I permission to share this letter with my friend?" "Why not?" said Steve. "This is a Western man's business letter," explained Atwood. The clubman listened with a well-bred stony stare. "Aw!" he said. "How _vewy_ extwaohdinawy!" "Now, old fellow, Mr. Thompson was just about to negotiate the loan of a man from me when you came. Here we have the adventure seeking the man, and the man seeking the adventure. It sounds promising. Of course, I shall expect a commission both ways. Now give us your plans and specifications, Mr. Thompson." "I want to borrow a young man, as I said before, of good appearance"--with a glance at Wyatt's sumptuous apparel--"and some little brains"--another and a sharper glance, "One who will obey orders if he breaks owners, who will stand without being tied, and who doesn't especially care whether school keeps or not. I would particularly request that he leave his money, his memory, acquired good habits, if any, and his conscience, in your safe-keeping till he is returned." "That sounds like the makings of a pretty adventure, Wyatt," said Atwood, delighted, "Are you for loan, old chap?"