This vehicle contained the aged rector of Bursley.

“Ha!  Mr. Ollerenshaw!” cried the divine.  “Your niece told me only yesterday that you were still in Derby buying property, and would not be back.”

“I’ve bought it, parson,” said James.

“Ha! ha!” said the divine, rubbing his hands.  He stooped habitually, which gave him the air of always trying to glimpse at his toes over the promontory of his waist.  And as James made no reply to the remark, he repeated:  “Ha! ha!  So you decided to come to my concert, eh?”

“I only heard of it yesterday,” said James.

“Well,” said the divine, “I’m afraid they’ll be waiting for me.  Ha! ha!  This way, isn’t it?  Fine place you’ve got here.  Very fine!  Noble!”

And he disappeared through the double doors that led to the drawing-room, which doors were parted for him by a manikin whose clothes seemed to be held together by new sixpences.  During the brief instant of opening, a vivacious murmur of conversation escaped like gas from the drawing-room into the hall.

James glanced about for his bag—­it was gone.  The gentleman in evening dress was out on the steps.  Disheartened by the mysterious annihilation of his old friend the bag, James, weary with too much and too various emotion, went slowly up the grand staircase.  In his bedroom the first thing he saw was his bag, which had been opened and its contents suitably bestowed.  Thus his hair-brushes were on the dressing-table.  This miracle completed his undoing.  He sat down on an easy-chair, drew the eider-down off the bed, and put it on his knees, for the temperature was low.  He did not intend to go to sleep.  But he did go to sleep.  It was simply a case of nature recovering from emotions.

He slept about an hour, and then, having brushed his wispish hair, he descended the stairs, determined to do or die.  Perhaps he would not have plumped himself straight into the drawing-room had not the manikin clad in sixpences assumed that the drawing-room was his Mecca and thrown open the doors.

A loud “Hush!” greeted him.  The splendid chamber was full of women’s hats and men’s heads; but hats predominated.  And the majority of the audience were seated on gilt chairs which James had never before seen.  Probably there were four or five score gilt chairs.  At the other end of the room the aged rector sat in an easy-chair.  Helen herself was perched at the piano, and in front of the piano stood Emanuel Prockter.  Except that the room was much larger, and that, instead of a faultless evening dress, Emanuel wore a faultless frock-coat (with the rest of a suit), the scene reminded James of a similar one on the great concertina night at Mrs. Prockter’s.

Many things had happened since then.  Still, history repeats itself.

“O Love!” exclaimed Emanuel Prockter, adagio and sostenuto, thus diverting from James a hundred glances which James certainly was delighted to lose.