"Socially," Haredale murmured in his ear, "you are made!" "Financially," groaned Rohscheimer, "I'm broke!" Mrs. Rohscheimer, in elegant _decolletee_, appeared among the excited throng. She was anxious for a sight of her husband, whom she was convinced had gone mad. Sheard thrust his way to the financier's side. "Is there anything you would care to say for our next edition?" he enquired, a notebook in his hand. "We're having a full-page photograph, and----" Crash! Crackle! Crackle! Crackle! A blinding light leapt up. "My God! What's that?" "All right," said Sheard. "Only our photographer doing a flash. If there's anything you'd like to say, hurry up, because I'm off to interview Baron Hague." "Say that I believe I've gone mad!" groaned the financier, clutching his hair, "and that I'm damn sure Hague has!" Sheard laughed, treating the words as a witticism, and hurried away. Mrs. Rohscheimer approached and bent over her husband. "Have you pains in your head, dear?" she inquired anxiously. "No!" snapped Rohscheimer. "I've got a pain in my pocket! I'm a ruined man! I'll be the laughing-stock of the whole money market!" Adeler reappeared. "Adeler," said Rohscheimer, "get the rest of the people out of the house! And, Adeler"--he glanced about him--"what did you do with those cards that were on the table, here?" Adeler stared. "Cards, Mr. Rohscheimer? I saw none." "Who came in here first this morning? Who woke me up?" "I." Rohscheimer studied the pale, intellectual face of his secretary with uneasy curiosity. "And there were no cards on the table--no cheque-book?" "No." "Sure you were first in?" "I am not sure, but I think so. I found you fast asleep, at any rate." "Why do you ask, dear?" said Mrs. Rohscheimer in growing anxiety. "Just for a lark!" snapped her husband sourly. "I want to make Adeler laugh!" Haredale, who, failing Rohscheimer or Mrs. Rohscheimer, did the honours of the house in Park Lane, returned from having conducted the Marquess to his car. He carried a first edition copy of the _Gleaner_. "They've managed to get it in, even in this one," he said. "When did you send the cheque--early last evening?" "Don't talk about it!" implored Rohscheimer. "Why?" inquired Haredale curiously. "You must have seen your way to something big before you spent so much money. It was a great idea! You're certain of a knighthood, if not something bigger. But I wonder you kept it dark from me." "Ah!" said Rohscheimer. "Do you?" "Very much. It's a situation that calls for very delicate handling. Hitherto, because of certain mortgages, the Marquess has not prohibited his daughter visiting here, with the Oppners or Vignoles; but you've forced him, now, to recognise you _in propria persona_. He cannot very well withhold a title; but you'll have to release the mortgage gracefully." "I'll do it gracefully," was the reply. "I'm gettin' plenty of practice at chuckin' fortunes away, and smilin'!"