SOME days later Lord Spratte found himself dressed half-an-hour too early for the dinner-party to which he was going. He made up his mind to walk down Piccadilly. The evening was , and he looked with eyes upon the street. The closing day flooded the scene with gold that seemed flung from divine hands with a gesture large and free. The crowd, along the pavements, the gay ’buses and the carriages, were bathed in opulent splendour. They looked like magic things, all light and movement, seen by a painter who could work miracles. Lord Spratte congratulated himself that his fellow-men were all very well-to-do and had obviously no concern with details. He himself to enjoy the charming world in general, and the festivity before him in particular.  
“I’m feelin’ younger every day,” he murmured. “By Jupiter, if Theodore don’t mind his p’s and q’s I’ll marry and do him out of the title yet.”
 
So may the fancy of middle age in June turn lightly to .
 
Suddenly he recognized Bertram Railing, who was walking quickly towards him. They met, and the , seeing him for the first time, flushed; then he his eyes firmly on Lord Spratte and with much deliberation cut him. The elder man smiled and his shoulders. He wanted to speak with Bertram, and was indifferent to his obvious disinclination. He turned round and with some trouble caught him up.
 
“Why the dickens do you walk at that rate?” he panted, somewhat out of breath.
 
He took Bertram’s arm familiarly. But the young man stopped and released himself.
 
“What do you want?”
 
“Merely to have a little chat. Let us stroll in the Park for five minutes.”
 
“I’m sorry, that’s impossible. I have an urgent engagement.”
 
“Nonsense!”
 
Lord Spratte again seized the arm, and in the most way made for the Park gates.
 
“I want to talk to you about your engagement with Winnie. I’m afraid you’ve been very unhappy.”
 
Bertram did not answer, but with firm-set looked straight in front of him.
 
“You know, if I were you I would try not to take it too much to heart,” he went on. “In a little while you’ll understand that both you and Winnie would have been quite unnecessarily wretched.”
 
He paused and looked at Bertram sharply.
 
“Will you promise not to turn round and bolt if I stop to light a cigarette?”
 
“Yes,” said Bertram, smiling in spite of himself.
 
“You think she’s a very young woman, but she’s quite an average girl. Perhaps she’s a little prettier than most. I know very few young women of her particular station who wouldn’t have acted as she has.”
 
“Then Heaven help her particular station,” cried Bertram.
 
“I don’t suppose it’s struck you that it’s a very awkward one,” replied Lord Spratte, mildly. “A great family might have lived down a match of this sort, (I don’t want to hurt your feelings,) but we’re such very small fry. You think us , and so we are. You can’t expect anythin’ else from people who’ve only just emerged from the middle-classes. You know, I have an impression that your grandfather and mine were great . I’m sure they used to hobnob and drink brandy and water together in seedy public-houses. Do you remember the Egyptian who made a wine-cup into the image of a god, for the edification of his former boon-fellows? Well, we’re somethin’ like that ; we have to use all sorts of to persuade the world of our gentility. If this affair between you and Winnie had come to anything, do you know what she would have done? She would have tried all her life to live up to Mayfair, and it would have meant either that you were dragged away from your proper work, or that she would have been eternally dissatisfied. My dear boy, she would have reproached you every day for marrying her.”
 
He stopped, feeling that the words were not coming as he wished. He wanted to be kind,............