“Never mind,” said Archie.  “He is in such a taking, you know.  God bless you, old fellow—­good-by!  I’ll write and tell you what fish we get, and mind you tell me what Turriper does for the Bedfordshire.  Good-by, Madam Gordeloup; good-by.”

There was no escape for him, so Doodles put on his hat and prepared to walk away to Mount Street with the Spy under his arm—­the Spy as to whose avocations, over and beyond those of her diplomatic profession, he had such strong suspicions!  He felt inclined to be angry with his friend, but the circumstances of his parting hardly admitted of any expression of anger.

“Good-by, Clavvy,” he said.  “Yes, I’ll write—­that is, if I’ve got anything to say.

“Take care of yourself; captain,” said Sophie.

“All right,” said Archie.

“Mind you come and see me when you come back,” said Sophie.

“Of course I will,” said Archie.

“And we’ll make that all right for you yet.  Gentlemen, when they have so much to gain, shouldn’t take a no too easy.  You come with your handy glove, and we’ll see about it again.”  Then Sophie walked off leaning upon the arm of Captain Boodle, and Archie stood at the door watching them till they turned out of sight round the corner of tire Square.  At last he saw them no more, and then he returned to his brother.

And as we shall see Doodles no more—­or almost no more-we will now bid him adieu civilly.  The pair were not ill-matched, though the lady perhaps had some advantage in acuteness, given to her no doubt by the experience of a longer life.  Doodles, as he walked along two sides of the square with the fair burden on his arm, felt himself to be in some sort proud of his position, though it was one from which he would not have been sorry to escape, had escape been possible.  A remarkable phenomenon was the Spy, and to have walked round Berkeley Square with such a woman leaning on his arm might in coming years be an event to remember with satisfaction.  In the mean time he did not say much to her, and did not quite understand all that she said to him.  At last he came to the door which he well remembered, and then he paused.  He did not escape even then.  After a while the door was opened, and those who were passing might have seen Captain Boodle, slowly and with hesitating steps, enter the narrow passage before the lady.  Then Sophie followed, and closed the door behind her.  As far as this story goes, what took place at that interview can not be known.  Let us bid farewell to Doodles, and wish him a happy escape.

“How did you come to know that woman?” said Hugh to his brother, as soon as Archie was in the dining-room.

“She was a friend of Julia’s,” said Archie.

“You haven’t given her money?” Hugh asked.

“Oh dear, no,” said Archie.

Immediately after that they got into their cab, the things were pitched on the top, and, in a while, we may bid adieu to them also.