Jamming his fists into his pockets, and puffing like a grampus indistress, he took himself away,--and it was time he did, for hiswords were as audible as they were pointed, and already peoplewere wondering what the matter was. Woodville came up as Lindonwas going,--just as sorely distressed as ever.

'She went away with Lessingham,--did you look at her?'

'0f course I saw her. When a man makes a speech like Lessingham'sany girl would go away with him,--and be proud to. When you areendowed with such great powers as he is, and use them for suchlofty purposes, she'll walk away with you,--but, till then,never.'

He was at his old trick of polishing his eyeglass.

'It's bitter hard. When I knew that she was there, I'd half a mindto make a speech myself, upon my word I had, only I didn't knowwhat to speak about, and I can't speak anyhow,--how can a fellowspeak when he's shoved into the gallery?'

'As you say, how can he?--he can't stand on the railing andshout,--even with a friend holding him close behind.'

'I know I shall speak one day,--bound to; and then she won't bethere.'

'It'll be better for you if she isn't.'

'Think so?--Perhaps you're right. I'd be safe to make a mess ofit, and then, if she were to see me at it, it'd be the devil! 'Ponmy word, I've been wishing, lately, I always was clever.'

He rubbed his nose with the rim of his eyeglass, looking the mostcomically disconsolate figure.

'Put yellow care behind you, Percy!--buck up, my boy! Thedivision's over--you are free--now we'll go "on the fly."'

And we did 'go on the fly.'

CHAPTER XVI

ATHERT0N'S MAGIC VAP0UR

I bore him off to supper at the Helicon. All the way in the cab hewas trying to tell me the tale of how he proposed to Marjorie,--and he was very far from being through with it when we reached theclub. There was the usual crowd of supperites, but we got a littletable to ourselves, in a corner of the chamber, and before anythingwas brought for us to eat he was at it again. A good many of thepeople were pretty near to shouting, and as they seemed to be allspeaking at once, and the band was playing, and as the Heliconsupper band is not piano, Percy did not have it very all tohimself, but, considering the delicacy of his subject, he talkedas loudly as was decent,--getting more so as he went on. But Percyis peculiar.