His eyes were obstinately lowered in a mule-like refusal to meet his brother's straight regard. He looked absurdly like a schoolboy brought up for punishment. Max considerately stifled a second laugh. "All right, it's mine," he said. "And I've come to apologize. Understand? I've come to make unconditional restitution of my ill-gotten gains. I'm just off to Bombay, to shake the dust of this accursed country off my feet, and to leave you in undisputed possession of the spoil. How's that appeal to you, you sulky young hound?" Noel's eyes shot upwards at the epithet, though the supercilious good-humour of its utterance made it somehow impossible to raise any furious protest. The entrance of his servant with drinks helped very materially to save his dignity. He pulled the table to him without rising and began to pour them out. "Lemon?" he asked briefly. "No, thanks. I'll have a plain soda. And if you've no objection we will thresh this matter out at once as I have to be off in ten minutes. I suppose you took in what I said just now?" Noel held out a glass to him, his brown hand not quite steady. "May as well be explicit," he said gruffly. "Quite so. Then my engagement to Olga Ratcliffe is at an end. Is that plain enough for you?" Again the boy's eyes glanced upwards, meeting the imperturbable green eyes opposite for the fraction of a second. "Really?" he said. "Yes, really." Max took a slow gulp from his glass and set it down. "Pleased?" he enquired. Noel did not answer. His own drink remained untouched at his elbow. "Whose doing is it?" he enquired. "Hers." "What! Doesn't she care for you after all?" There was a sudden quiver in the question that belied the studied calm of the speaker. Max took up his glass and drank again. "She can't stand me at any price," he said. "Then what have you been doing?" There was no attempt to disguise the fierceness of the query. Noel started forward in his chair with hands clenched, and his dog slid to the ground. "Take it easy!" said Max. "I'm not going to let you into that secret. It wouldn't be good for your morals. Besides, there's no time to go into that now. All I want to say to you is that there's a clear road in front of you and the odds are all in your favour. Go straight and I believe you'll win!" Noel leaned nearer. His face was a curious blend of eagerness and resentment. "Do you mean--you've found out--that she'd sooner have me after all?" he blurted out. Max looked at him, and a queer, half-pitying smile curved his grim mouth. "Yes, I suppose it amounts to that," he said, after a moment. "Oh, I say!" said Noel. He got up abruptly, and walked to the end of the room. Coming back, he gave a sharp gasp as of one rising from deep water, and the next moment very suddenly he laughed. "I say," he said again, speaking jerkily, "is it the sun--or what? I feel as if--you'd hit me between the eyes."