'I hope I haven't brought down the suspicions of the waiters upon you, Mr Stanley, by my boisterous singing; but it's almost impossible to sing that song as one would sing a ballad. I evidently have alarmed someone,' he added, as a tap at the door punctuated his remark. But the waiter, whatever his feelings may have been, gave them no expression. He merely announced-- 'Mr Roland Ferrier,' and disappeared. 'I'm very glad to see you, my dear boy,' said Mr Stanley, as Roland came forward; 'though it's about the last thing I expected. Mr Litvinoff--Mr Ferrier.' Both bowed. Roland did not look particularly delighted. 'We've come to London on business,' said he. 'We? Then where is your brother?' questioned Clare. 'Well,' said Roland, 'it is rather absurd, but I can't tell you where he is; he's lost, stolen, or strayed. We came up together, dined together, and started to come here together. We were walking through a not particularly choice neighbourhood between here and St Pancras, when I suddenly missed him. I waited and looked about for something like a quarter of an hour, but as it wasn't the sort of street where men are garrotted, and as he's about able to take care of himself, I thought I'd better come on. I expect he'll be here presently.' But the evening wore on, and no Richard Ferrier appeared. Clare felt a little annoyed--and Roland more than a little surprised. Perhaps, in spite of his _sang froid_, he was a trifle anxious when at eleven o'clock Litvinoff and he rose to go, and still his brother had not come. CHAPTER V. AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE. As a rule, it was not an easy matter to turn Richard Ferrier from any purpose of his, and when his purpose was that of visiting Miss Stanley and at the same time of putting a stop to any chance of a _tête-à-tête_ between his divinity and his brother, no ordinary red herring would have drawn him off the track. As he walked through the streets with Roland all his thoughts were with the girl he was going to see--all his longing was to hasten as much as might be the moment of their meeting. In his mind just then she was the only woman in the world; and yet it was a woman's face in the crowd that made him start so suddenly--a woman's figure that he turned to follow with so immediate a decision as to give his brother no time to notice his going until he had gone.