"Thank you," replied her nephew meekly, and politely holding open the door; "the same to you, and many of them." "Oh, Prelice, how I should love to box your ears!" And unable to say anything worse, Lady Sophia disappeared in a royal rage. Prelice did not feel very amiable himself for having been baited unnecessarily, and closed the door with a bang, which said volumes. Then he returned to the disordered dinner-table, poured himself out a glass of port, caught his uncle's twinkling eyes, and laughed in spite of his irritation. Haken nodded approvingly. "That's better than banging the door," he said, stretching his legs in a genial fashion. "Have a cigar?" Prelice accepted one of the best, and lighted up, while his host followed his example. When the blue smoke was curling round the old head and the young, and the glasses were full, they dismissed the trouble of Lady Sophia by common consent. Haken looked interrogatively at the young man. "Well," he demanded quietly, "and what have you to say to me? If I know anything of young men, you wish to borrow money." And ended with a chuckle at his joke, knowing the wealth of his nephew. "And if I know anything of old men," said Prelice coolly, "I should advise them to borrow from their relatives instead of from strangers." Haken was somewhat startled by this speech, which was as rude a one as Prelice could well have made. But he felt irritable, and wished to smash, rather than break the ice. "What are you talking about?" asked the elder man cautiously. "About fifty thousand pounds." "A very tidy little sum," said Haken, quite composed. "I required that precise sum myself a month or so ago, to tide over a crisis." "Did you get it?" "Not from Oliver Lanwin," retorted the city man dryly. Prelice jumped up from his chair, and let his cigar fall. He was far from expecting that Haken would own up so quickly. Leaning forward, he placed his hands on the table, and looked straight into the withered face before him. "What do you mean?" "Don't burn the carpet with your cigar," said Haken irrelevantly; and when Prelice stooped to pick it up he continued. "I should rather ask you that, my boy. You know something, or else you wouldn't talk of my borrowing, and of the exact sum which I required." "I know a great deal," said the young man, and sat down. Haken settled himself luxuriously in his chair. "Let us hear all about it, my boy," said he. "Is your glass filled; your cigar all right? Good. Fire away. I am in a mood for listening." "Are you in the mood to face danger?" questioned the other man, astonished at this coolness. Haken wrinkled his brows as a monkey does. "Danger?" he repeated. "And from whom?" "From Madame Marie, from Captain Jadby, and from Dr. Horace." "I agree as to the first two," said Haken, perfectly calm, "but I am sure that the last-named will not harm me in any way." Prelice reflected. "You are right," he said thoughtfully. "Horace is your friend and mine. But the others----"