The three old schoolfellows came together at Durham's house, which was situated on Camden Hill. Faithful to his intention to see Gore, the lawyer had sent a note asking Conniston where Bernard was to be found. Already Conniston had told Durham of his chance meeting in the Park, so when he received Durham's letter he insisted on taking Gore to dinner at the lawyer's house. Bernard was only too glad, and the three had a long talk over old times. The dinner was excellent, the wine was good, and although the young man's housekeeper was rather surprised that her precise master should dine with a couple of soldiers, she did her best to make them comfortable. When the meal was ended Durham carried off his guests to the library, where they sat around a sea-wood fire sipping coffee and smoking the excellent cigars of their host. Durham alone was in evening dress, as Gore kept to khaki, and Conniston, for the sake of company, retained his lancer uniform. Their host laughed as he contemplated the two. "I feel inclined to go to the front myself," said he, handing Gore a glass of kümmel, "but the business would suffer." "Leave it in charge of a clerk," said Conniston, in his hair-brained way. "You have no ties to keep you here. Your parents are dead--you aren't married, and--" "I may be engaged for all you know." "Bosh! There's a look about an engaged man you can't mistake. Look at Bernard there. He is--" "_Pax! Pax!_" cried Gore, laughing. "Leave me alone, Conniston. But are you really engaged, Mark?" "No," said Mark, rubbing his knees rather dismally. "I should like to be. A home-loving man like myself needs a wife to smile at him across the hearth." "And just now you talked of going to the front," put in the young lord. "You don't know your own mind. But, I say, this is jolly. Back I go to barracks to-morrow and shall remember this comfortable room and this glimpse of civilized life." "You were stupid to enlist," said Durham, sharply. "Had you come to me, we could have arranged matters better. You knew I'd see you through, Conniston. I have ample means." "I don't want to be seen through," said Conniston, wilfully. "Besides, it's fun, this war. I'm crazy to go, and now that Bernard's coming along it will be like a picnic." "Not much, I fear," said Bernard, "if all the tales we hear are true." "Right," said Durham. "This won't be the military promenade the generality of people suppose it will be. The Boers are obstinate." "So are we," argued Conniston; "but don't let us talk shop. We'll get heaps of that at the Cape. Mark, you wanted to see Bernard about some business. Shall I leave the room?" "No, no!" said Gore, hastily. "Mark can say what he likes about my business before you, Conniston. I have nothing to conceal." "Nothing?" asked Durham, looking meaningly at his friend. Gore allowed an expression of surprise to flit across his expressive face. "What are you driving at, Mark?"